The Man Who Lost Himself

pagne stood on the table, the door was shut

would have so upset him. He was unconscious during the whole of the business that he was putting out more energy than ordinary, he knew it now

eight thousand pounds of ill gotten money, and freed himse

he possessed daring, and energy, and courage

ame to the door, and a f

s served,

t up in

t yet. Fetch me a whisky and soda-look

my L

ake men as he found them; the pressure of circumstances alone had made him a business partner with Aaron Stringer. He had never trusted Strin

rived, and, almost imm

lf empty glass on the

id he, "and s

cted not with a view to the easy interpretation of emotions. I doubt if an earthquak

as if l

clock to No. 12B Jermyn Street to get some documents

my L

ing them bac

my L

alt with him. He is a very great rogue and I had

as though he were going to s

nes. "What were

confidence, what Voles was having out of you, you will remember what advice I gave your Lordship. 'Don't be sq

that I am going to ask your advice often agai

anged. If your Lordship wi

ow

, and more yourself, and you spe

ow; he had vaguely mistrusted his voice, unable to estimate in how much it differed from Rochester

are going to be differe

ds the bureau, and C

nt me any lon

just

d looked up the solicitors, til

10, Sergeant's I

, "and to-morrow I will see him." H

want to. A servant seeing him, and taking it for granted tha

e, stared at by defunct Rochesters and their wi

pings of turtle soup, the same of cod and oyster sauce, a huge plateful of York ham, a cut from the joint, a liberal supply of roast pheasant, to say nothin

ore the roast chicken and salad were served, Jones found himself

him was breaking. Wrecked on this strange, luxuriant, yet hostile coast, he had me

b Camp had left him unimpressed, and the wild beast Voles had bequeathed

ge of the lurid light that shewed up Roche

to appreciate the fact that to be a Lord was to be a very great t

is mind, also the recognition that the flunkeys no longer oppressed him, they rather pleased

a few hours ago he would have felt oppressed and wanting to escape somewhere by himself. What lent him t

e, sitting alone with a cigar, he began clearly and fo

ew York as Lord Rochester, just as a diver enters the sea, and emerge as Jones.

seemed a

. The main question was simply this, shall I be Victor Jones for the futur

and try and make something of the wreckage, or sneak off with n

ry in the Popular Magazine, in which a Railway Manager had cast scorn

ystallised his sentiments in this respect: the qu

quit was strong, even though th

ce; he could throw down his cards at any moment and rise from the tab

s in which Rochester had left his affairs-that

everie by voices in the

ir Hugh Spicer and Captain Stark to see you, my Lord

in evening dress covered with a long fawn coloured overcoat; this gentleman was

what Jones afterwards mental

n, "sitting in his blessed arm ch

able where he hit the inkstand with the cane he was carr

bar, President of the Rag Tag Club, baron

silver cigar box and helping himself. "Less of that

as he lit a cigar.

dressed, and always well fed-Terrible. Just as beetles are beetles, whether dressed in tropical splen

said he, "did you m

speaking in jest and ringing for drinks; they laughed, and Hughie began to

rs, who had never been really sober for the space of some five years, who had destroyed a fine est

se was

ned and calv

ruffian out,

way his cane at this joke. "Come on, Sta

ened up by the other, closed in, receiving a bl

and, that had somehow managed to insert itself between

ss the hall to the front door, a running footman preceding

r matter. The hats and coats were

again," said Jones to the acolyte, "

my L

id he to himself, as he returned to the smoking room. "My God, what a mess

ared up, and then he sent fo

. You know all the men I have been fool enough to know. If

sending for Church. "Where'

e bureau and open

d it here, my Lord

es opened the book;

n he sat down, and taking Rochester's note from his

re, and found for the first time in his lif

been using, put the cheque book away and

hts and left the room,

ftly lit corridor he had no difficulty in locating it. He had half dreaded that the agile valet i

to the nearest window pull

upon the Green Park. A huge summer moon. The sort of

mas that were laid out for him, got into bed,

t wonderful day, failed utterly, swit