"I am never too busy, Lady Kenworthy, to help in such a good cause as this," he assured her, in that suave manner of his which stood him in such good stead at times. "True, I am rather a busy man, as everyone has to be in these days. We, in the City, have to bear our share in finance, for we know that one day--sooner or later--the Government will require a big loan to carry on the war. And when they do, we hope to be as ready to meet it as the industrial population of the country will no doubt be. Still, to us it means much thought. We have no time nowadays for any idle week-ends, or golf by the sea."At mention of golf Lady Betty smiled.  She knew well that it was the great man's habit to play golf at Sunningdale or Walton Heath with various important personages.

The conversation regarding the aims and aspirations of the Anti-Teuton Alliance grew general, and everyone was much gratified to hear Mr Lewin Rodwell's reiterated approval of it, especially the half-dozen ascetic, hard-faced women who made "movements" the chief object of their lives.

Lewin Rodwell smiled inwardly at them all, sipped the cup of China tea offered him by a slim, dark-haired, loosely-clad girl who secretly regarded him as a hero, and then talked loudly, airing his opinion of "what the Government really ought to do."  To him, the huge farce was amusing.  Lady Betty was, of course, "a good sort," but he knew quite well that her association with the Anti-Teuton movement was merely for the sake of advertisement and notoriety--in order to go one better than the Countess of Chesterbridge, who had, for years, been her rival on the face of the social barometer--which, after all, was the personal columns of the daily newspapers.

After an hour, when most of the guests had left, Rodwell rose at last and said to Trustram, with whom he had had a long and very intimate chat:

"I really do wish you'd run in and see me, Mr Trustram.  I'd be so awfully delighted.  I'm sure we can do something together in order to expose this terrible scandal.  Will you?"

"Most certainly.  I'll be most pleased."

"Good.  Can't you dine with me--say on Tuesday?"

His newly-found friend reflected a moment, and then replied in the affirmative.

"Excellent.  Tuesday at eight--eh?  You know my address."

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