Her fire of glances perceived that the young man, though agreeably touched and full of expectancy, was to a certain extent on his guard.  He, too, no doubt, had power of reading faces, of discerning motives.  She did not desire him to be too facile a victim of cajolery; it would take from the interest she felt in his ambitions.  At table, they talked at first of bio-sociology, Mrs. Toplady, with the adroitness which distinguished her, seeming thoroughly to grasp a subject of which she knew nothing, and which, if she had tried to think about it, would have bored her unspeakably.  But she soon diverged to things personal, spoke of people whom she wished Lashmar to meet, and asked whether a date she had in mind would suit his convenience.

“I think you know Lord Dymchurch?”

“Very well,” answered Dyce, blandly.

“I should like to meet him I have heard he is most interesting.”

“He certainly is,” said Lashmar, “but no man is so hard to get hold of.  I never ventured to try to take him anywhere; he very much dislikes meeting strangers.”

“Tell me about him, will you?”

Dyce could speak only of Lord Dymchurch’s personal and mental characteristics; of his circumstances he knew nothing more than could be gathered from rumour.

“Let me make a suggestion,” said Mrs. Toplady, with a flatteringly intimate air.  “Suppose you give a quiet little dinner to a few of your friends, say at one of the restaurants.  Don’t you think Lord Dymchurch might be willing to come?  If I may propose myself—­” The roguish smile was lost in a radiant archness.  “Half a dozen of us just to talk over the political situation.”

Lashmar looked delighted.  In reality he was seized with anxious thought as to whom he could invite for such an important occasion.  As is commonly the case with men of great self-esteem and modest resources, he had made friends with the poorer and less ambitious of his acquaintances, and these were not the sort of people to present either to Mrs. Toplady or to Lord Dymchurch.  However, he knew a man pretty well placed in the Home Office.  He knew also—­

“Would you like to ask our friend Mrs. Woolstan?” let fall the hostess, shooting one swift glance at his busy forehead.

“Yes—­certainly—­”

“She’s charming,” pursued Mrs. Toplady, with her kindest air, “and I’m sure your views interest her.”

“Mrs. Woolstan spoke of them?”

“Oh, yes!  She called here, as I told you, the day before I went down to Rivenoak, and, as we were talking, I happened to mention where I was going.  ‘Oh then,’ she said, ‘you’ll see my friend Mr. Lashmar!’ ‘I told her that Lady Ogram had specially asked me to meet you.’  Of course it delighted me to hear that you knew each other so well.  I have always thought Mrs. Woolstan a very clever little woman.  And she looks at things from such a high point of view—­a thorough idealist.  Do let us have her.—­Then, if I might propose another guest—?”