— he would on no account have had altered, the pale flesh of his under chin remained immovable. His eyes roved from bottleto bottle. He was debating, and he argued like this: Jolyon drinks a glass, perhaps two, he’s so careful of himself. James,he can’t take his wine nowadays. Nicholas — Fanny and he would swill water he shouldn’t wonder! Soames didn’t count; theseyoung nephews — Soames was thirty-one — couldn’t drink! But Bosinney?

Encountering in the name of this stranger something outside the range of his philosophy, Swithin paused. A misgivingarose within him! It was impossible to tell! June was only a girl, in love too! Emily (Mrs. James) liked a good glass ofchampagne. It was too dry for Juley, poor old soul, she had no palate. As to Hatty Chessman! The thought of this old friendcaused a cloud of thought to obscure the perfect glassiness of his eyes: He shouldn’t wonder if she drank half a bottle!

But in thinking of his remaining guest, an expression like that of a cat who is just going to purr stole over his oldface: Mrs. Soames! She mightn’t take much, but she would appreciate what she drank; it was a pleasure to give her good wine!A pretty woman — and sympathetic to him!

The thought of her was like champagne itself! A pleasure to give a good wine to a young woman who looked so well, whoknew how to dress, with charming manners, quite distinguished — a pleasure to entertain her. Between the points of hiscollar he gave his head the first small, painful oscillation of the evening.

“Adolf!” he said. “Put in another bottle.”

He himself might drink a good deal, for, thanks to that prescription of Blight’s, he found himself extremely well, and hehad been careful to take no lunch. He had not felt so well for weeks. Puffing out his lower lip, he gave his lastinstructions:

“Adolf, the least touch of the West India when you come to the ham.”

Passing into the anteroom, he sat down on the edge of a chair, with his knees apart; and his tall, bulky form was wrapped