‘Call a hansom,’ said Merton, ‘and put up the notice, “out."’ He drove to the club, where he found Logan ordering luncheon.

‘Hullo, shall we lunch together?’ Logan asked.

‘Not yet:  I want to speak to you.’

‘Nothing gone wrong?  Why did you shut me out of the office?’

‘Where can we talk without being disturbed?’

‘Try the smoking-room on the top storey,’ said Logan, ’Nobody will have climbed so high so early.’

They made the ascent, and found the room vacant:  the windows looked out over swirling smoke and trees tossing in a wind of early spring.

‘Quiet enough,’ said Logan, taking an arm-chair.  ’Now out with it!  You make me quite nervous.’

’A client has come with what looks a promising piece of business.  We are to disentangle—­’

‘A royal duke?’

‘No. You!’

‘A practical joke,’ said Logan.  ’Somebody pulling your leg, as people say, a most idiotic way of speaking.  What sort of client was he, or she?  We’ll be even with them.’

‘The client’s card is here,’ said Merton, and he handed to Logan that of the Marquis of Restalrig.

‘You never saw him before; are you sure it was the man?’ asked Logan, staggered in his scepticism.

’A very good imitation.  Dressed like a farmer at a funeral.  Talked like all the kailyards.  Snuffed, and asked for brandy, and went and came, walking, in this weather.’

‘By Jove, it is my venerated cousin.  And he had heard about me and Miss —–­’

‘He was quite well informed.’

Logan looked very grave.  He rose and stared out of the window into the mist.  Then he came back, and stood beside Merton’s chair.  He spoke in a low voice: 

‘This can only mean one thing.’

‘Only that one thing,’ said Merton, dropping his own voice.

‘What did you say to him?’

’I told him that his best plan, as the head of the house, was to approach you himself.’

‘And he said?’

‘That it was of no use, and that I do not know the Logans.’

‘But you do?’

‘I think so.’

‘You think right.  No, not for all his lands and mines I won’t.’

‘Not for the name?’

‘Not for the kingdoms of the earth,’ said Logan.

‘It is a great refusal.’

‘I have really no temptation to accept,’ said Logan.  ’I am not built that way.  So what next?  If the old boy could only see her—­’

’I doubt if that would do any good, though, of course, if I were you I should think so.  He goes north to-night.  You can’t take the lady to Kirkburn.  And you can’t write to him.’

‘Of course not,’ said Logan; ’of course it would be all up if he knew that I know.’

’There is this to be said—­it is not a very pleasant view to take—­he can’t live long.  He came to see some London specialist—­it is his heart, I think—­’