‘I don’t think there will be any shoemakers at the Beargarden.’

’Even if there were I would go and dine with you.  I shall be glad to see the place where you, I suppose, pass many hours.’

’I find it a very good shop to dine at.  The place at the House is so stuffy and nasty.  Besides, one likes to get away for a time.’

’Certainly.  I never was an advocate for living in the House.  One should always change the atmosphere.’  Then they got into a cab and went to the club.  Silverbridge was a little afraid of what he was doing.  The invitation had come from him on the spur of the moment, and he hardly ventured to think that his father would accept it.  And now he did not quite know how the Duke would go through the ceremony.  ‘The other fellows’ would come and stare at a man whom they had all been taught to regard as the most un-Beargardenish of men.  But he was especially anxious to make things pleasant for his father.

‘What shall I order?’ said the son as he took the Duke into a dressing-room to wash his hands.  The Duke suggested that anything sufficient for his son would certainly be sufficient for him.

Nothing especial occurred during the dinner, which the Duke appeared to enjoy very much.  ’Yes; I think it is a very good soup,’ he said.  ’I don’t think they ever give me any soup at home.’  Then the son expressed his opinion that unless his father looked about rather more sharply, ‘they’ very soon would provide no dinner at all, remarking that experience had taught him that the less people demanded the more they were ‘sat upon’.  The Duke did like his dinner,—­or rather he liked the feeling that he was dining with his son.  A report that the Duke of Omnium was with Lord Silverbridge soon went round the room, and they who were justified by some previous acquaintance came up to greet him.  To all who did so he was very gracious, and was specially so to Lord Popplecourt, who happened to pass close by the table.

‘I think he is a fool,’ whispered Silverbridge as soon as Popplecourt had passed.

‘What makes you thinks so?’

‘We thought him an ass at Eton.’

‘He has done pretty well however.’

‘Oh yes, in a way.’

‘Somebody has told me that he is careful about his property.’

‘I believe he is all that,’ said Silverbridge.

‘Then I don’t see why you should think him a fool.’

To this Silverbridge made no reply; partly because he had nothing to say,—­but hindered also by the coming in of Tregear.  This was an accident, the possibility of which had not crossed him.  Unfortunately too the Duke’s back was turned, so that Tregear, as he walked up the room, could not see who was sitting at his friend’s table.  Tregear coming up stood close to the Duke’s elbow before he recognised the man, and spoke some word or two to Silverbridge.  ‘How do you do, Mr Tregear,’ said the Duke, turning round.