It was on the afternoon of the day before the fight that this conversation took place between my uncle and myself in the dainty sanctum of his Jermyn-Street house.  He was clad, I remember, in his flowing brocade dressing-gown, as was his custom before he set off for his club, and his foot was extended upon a stool—­for Abernethy had just been in to treat him for an incipient attack of the gout.  It may have been the pain, or it may have been his disappointment at my career, but his manner was more testy than was usual with him, and I fear that there was something of a sneer in his smile as he spoke of my deficiencies.  For my own part I was relieved at the explanation, for my father had left London in the full conviction that a vacancy would speedily be found for us both, and the one thing which had weighed upon my mind was that I might have found it hard to leave my uncle without interfering with the plans which he had formed.  I was heart-weary of this empty life, for which I was so ill-fashioned, and weary also of that intolerant talk which would make a coterie of frivolous women and foolish fops the central point of the universe.  Something of my uncle’s sneer may have flickered upon my lips as I heard him allude with supercilious surprise to the presence in those sacrosanct circles of the men who had stood between the country and destruction.

“By the way, nephew,” said he, “gout or no gout, and whether Abernethy likes it or not, we must be down at Crawley to-night.  The battle will take place upon Crawley Downs.  Sir Lothian Hume and his man are at Reigate.  I have reserved beds at the George for both of us.  The crush will, it is said, exceed anything ever known.  The smell of these country inns is always most offensive to me—­mais que voulez-vous?  Berkeley Craven was saying in the club last night that there is not a bed within twenty miles of Crawley which is not bespoke, and that they are charging three guineas for the night.  I hope that your young friend, if I must describe him as such, will fulfil the promise which he has shown, for I have rather more upon the event than I care to lose.  Sir Lothian has been plunging also—­ he made a single bye-bet of five thousand to three upon Wilson in Limmer’s yesterday.  From what I hear of his affairs it will be a serious matter for him if we should pull it off.  Well, Lorimer?”

“A person to see you, Sir Charles,” said the new valet.

“You know that I never see any one until my dressing is complete.”

“He insists upon seeing you, sir.  He pushed open the door.”

“Pushed it open!  What d’you mean, Lorimer?  Why didn’t you put him out?”

A smile passed over the servant’s face.  At the same moment there came a deep voice from the passage.

“You show me in this instant, young man, d’ye ’ear?  Let me see your master, or it’ll be the worse for you.”

I thought that I had heard the voice before, but when, over the shoulder of the valet, I caught a glimpse of a large, fleshy, bull-face, with a flattened Michael Angelo nose in the centre of it, I knew at once that it was my neighbour at the supper party.