down to the lake, and northwards into the court—­is Jacobean down to the smallest detail, and extremely good at that.  It was on the end of this that the thirteenth earl the fifteenth baron and the fourteenth viscount (one man, not three) thought it proper to build on a Palladian kind of smoking-room of red sandstone, brought at enormous cost from half across England.  Fortunately, however, ivy has since covered the greater part of its exterior.

It was in this room—­also used as a billiard-room—­that Archie Guiseley (Viscount Merefield), and Dick Guiseley, his first cousin, first heard the news of Frank’s intentions.

They were both dressed for dinner, and were knocking the balls about for ten minutes, waiting for the gong, and they were talking in that incoherent way characteristic of billiard-players.

“The governor’s not very well again,” observed Archie, “and the doctor won’t let him go up to town.  That’s why we’re here.”

Dick missed a difficult cannon (he had only arrived from town himself by the 6.17), and began to chalk his cue very carefully.

“There’s nothing whatever to do,” continued Archie, “so I warn you.”

Dick opened his mouth to speak and closed it again, pursing it up precisely as once more he addressed himself to the balls, and this time brought off a really brilliant stroke.

“And he’s in a terrible way about Frank,” continued the other.  “You’ve heard all about that?”

Dick nodded.

“And he swears he won’t have him home again, and that he can go to the devil.”

Dick arched his eyebrows interrogatively.

“Of course, he doesn’t mean it....  But the gout, you know, and all that....  I think Frank had better keep out of the way, though, for a bit.  Oh! by the way, the Rector and Jenny are coming to dinner.”

“What does Jenny say to it all?” asked Dick gently.

“Oh!  Jenny laughs.”

These two young men—­for Archie was only twenty-five, and Dick a year or two older—­were quite remarkably like one another in manner and general bearing.  Each, though their faces were entirely different, wore that same particular form of mask that is fashionable just now.  Each had a look in his eyes as if the blinds were down—­rather insolent and yet rather pleasant.  Each moved in the same kind of way, slow and deliberate; each spoke quietly on rather a low note, and used as few words as possible.  Each, just now, wore a short braided dinner-jacket of precisely the same cut.

For the rest, they were quite unlike.  Archie was clean-shaven, of a medium sort of complexion, with a big chin and rather loosely built; Dick wore a small, pointed brown beard, and was neat and alert.  Neither of them did anything particular in the world.  Archie was more or less tied to his father, except in the autumn—­for Archie drew the line at Homburg, and went about for short visits, returning continually to look after the estate; Dick lived in a flat in town on six hundred a year, allowed him by his mother, and was supposed to be a sort of solicitor.  They saw a good deal of one another, off and on, and got on together rather better than most brothers; certainly better than did Archie and Frank.  It was thought a pity by a good many people that they were only cousins.