“Youcarryyouryearswell，Mr。Sabin。Yetwhileweareonthesubject，doyouknowthatLondonistheunhealthiestcityintheworld？“
　　“Iamalwaysremarkablywellhere，“Mr。Sabinsaiddrily。
　　“Londonhaschangedsinceyourlastvisit，“LordRobertsaid，withagentlesmile。“BelievemeifIsay-asyoursincerewell-wisher-thatthereissomethingintheairatpresentpositivelyunwholesometoyou。Iamnotsurethatunwholesomeisnottooweakaword。“
　　“Isthisofficial？“Mr。Sabinaskedquietly。
　　Theyoungmanfingeredthegoldchainwhichdisappearedinhistrouserspocket。
　　“NeedIintroducemyself？“heasked。
　　“Quiteunnecessary，“Mr。Sabinassuredhim。“Permitmetoreflectforafewminutes。Yourvisitcomesuponmeasasurprise。Willyousmoke？Therearecigarettesatyourelbow。“
　　“Iamentirelyatyourservice，“LordRobertanswered。“Thanks，I
　　willtryoneofyourcigarettes。Youwerealwaysfamousforyourtobacco。“
　　Therewasashortsilence。Mr。Sabinhadseldomfounditmoredifficulttoseethewaybeforehim。
　　“Iimagined，“hesaidatlast，“fromseverallittleincidentswhichoccurredprevioustomyleavingNewYorkthatmypresenceherewasregardedassuperfluous。Doyouknow，IbelievethatIcouldconvinceyoutothecontrary。“
　　LordRobertraisedhiseyebrows。
　　“Mr。dearMr。Sabin，“hesaid，“prayreflect。Iamamessenger。
　　Nomore！Ahiredcommissionaire！“
　　Mr。Sabinbowed。
　　“Youareanambassador！“hesaid。
　　Theyoungmanshookhishead。
　　“Youmagnifymyposition，“hedeclared。“MyerrandisdonewhenI
　　remindyouthatitismanyyearssinceyouvisitedParis，thatViennaisasfascinatingacityasever，andPesthafewhoursjourneybeyond。ButLondon-no，Londonisnotpossibleforyou。
　　AftertheseventhdayfromthisLondonwouldbeworsethanimpossible。“
　　Mr。Sabinsmokedthoughtfullyforafewmoments。
　　“LordRobert，“hesaid，“Ihave，Ibelieve，therightofapersonalappeal。Idesiretomakeit。“
　　LordRobertlookedpositivelydistressed。
　　“Mydearsir，“hesaid，“therightofappeal，anyrightofanysort，belongsonlytothosewithinthecircle。“
　　“Exactly，“Mr。Sabinagreed。“Iclaimtobelongthere。“
　　LordRobertsshruggedhisshoulders。
　　“Youforcemetoremindyou，“hesaid，“ofacertaindecree-adecreeofexpulsionpassedfiveyearsago，andofwhichIpresumeduenotificationwasgiventoyou。“
　　Mr。Sabinshookhisheadveryslowly。
　　“Idenythelegalityofthatdecree，“hesaid。“Therecanbenosuchthingasexpulsion。“
　　“TherewasLefanu，“LordRobertmurmured。
　　“Hedied，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Thatwasreasonableenough。“
　　“Yourserviceshadbeengreat，“LordRobertsaid，“andyourfaultwasbutvenial。“
　　“Nevertheless，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“theonewaslogical，theotherisnot。“
　　“Youclaim，then，“theyoungmansaid，“tobestillwithinthecircle？“
　　“Certainly！“
　　“Youareawarethatthisisaverydangerousclaim？“
　　Mr。Sabinsmiled，buthesaidnothing。LordRoberthastenedtoexcusehimself。
　　“Ibegyourpardon，“hesaid。“Ishouldhaveknownbetterthantohaveusedsuchawordtoyou。Permitmetotakemyleave。“
　　Mr。Sabinrose。
　　“Ithankyou，sir，“hesaid，“forthecourteousmannerinwhichyouhavedischargedyourmission。“
　　LordRobertbowed。
　　“Mygoodwishes，“hesaid，“areyours。“
　　Mr。SabinwhenalonecalledDusontohim。
　　“Haveyouanyreporttomake，Duson？“heasked。
　　“None，sir！“
　　Mr。Sabindismissedhimimpatiently。
　　“Afterall，Iamgettingold。Heisyoungandheisstrong-aworthyantagonist。Come，letusseewhatthislittlevolumehastosayabouthim。“
　　Heturnedoverthepagesrapidlyandreadaloud。
　　“ReginaldCyrilBrott，born18-，sonofJohnReginaldBrott，Esq。，ofManchester。EducatedatHarrowandMertonCollege，Cambridge，M。A。，LL。D。，andwinneroftheRudlockHistoryPrize。Alsotenthwrangler。Enteredthediplomaticserviceonleavingcollege，andservedasjuniorattacheatVienna。“
　　Mr。Sabinlaiddownthevolume，andmadealittlecalculation。Attheendofithehadmadeadiscovery。Hisfacewasverywhiteandset。
　　“IwasatPetersburg，“hemuttered。“NowIthinkofit，IheardsomethingofayoungEnglishattache。But-“
　　Hetouchedthebell。
　　“Duson，acarriage！“
　　AtCamperdownHousehelearnedthatHelenewasout-shopping，thehallporterbelieved。Mr。SabindroveslowlydownBondStreet，andwasrewardedbyseeingherbroughamoutsideafamousmilliner’s。Hewaitedforheruponthepavement。Presentlyshecameoutandsmiledhergreetingsuponhim。
　　“Youwerewaitingforme？“sheasked。
　　“Isawyourcarriage。“
　　“Howdelightfulofyou。Letmetakeyoubacktoluncheon。“
　　Heshookhishead。
　　“Iamafraid，“hesaid，“thatIshouldbepoorcompany。MayI
　　drivehomewithyou，atanyrate，whenyouhavefinished？“
　　“Ofcourseyoumay，andforluncheonweshallbequitealone，unlesssomebodydropsin。“
　　Hetookhisseatbesideherinthecarriage。“Helene，“hesaid，“I
　　aminterestedinMr。Brott。No，don’tlookatmelikethat。Youneedhavenofear。Myinterestisinhimasaman，andnotasapolitician。Theotherdaysareoveranddonewithnow。Iamonthedefensiveandhardpressed。“
　　Herfacewasbrightwithsympathy。Sheforgoteverythingexceptheroldadmirationforhim。Intheclashingoftheirwillsthevictoryhadremainedwithher。Andasforthosethingswhichhehaddone，thecauseatleasthadbeenagreatone。Herhappinesshadcometoherthroughhim。Sheborehimnogrudgeforthatfierceoppositionwhich，afterall，hadbeenfruitless。
　　“Ibelieveyou，UNCLE，“shesaidaffectionately。“IfIcanhelpyouinanywayIwill。“
　　“ThisMr。Brott！Hegoesverylittleintosociety，Ibelieve。“
　　“Scarcelyever，“sheanswered。“HecametousbecausemyhusbandisoneofthefewRadicalpeers。“
　　“Youhavenotheardofanyrecentchangeinhim-inthisrespect？“
　　“Well，IdidhearWolfendonchaffinghimtheotherdayaboutsomebody，“shesaid。“Oh，Iknow。HehasbeengoingoftentotheDuchessofDorset’s。HeissuchanultraRadical，youknow，andtheDorsetsarefierceTories。WolfendonsaysitisamostunwisethingforagoodRadicalwhowantstoretaintheconfidenceofthepeopletobeseenaboutwithaDuchess。“
　　“TheDuchessofDorset，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“mustbe，well-amiddle-agedwoman。“
　　Helenelaughed。
　　“Sheissixtyifsheisaday。ButIdaresaysheherselfisnottheattraction。Thereisaverybeautifulwomanstayingwithher-theCountessRadantz。AHungarian，Ibelieve。“
　　Mr。Sabinsatquitestill。HisfacewasturnedawayfromHelene。
　　Sheherselfwassmilingoutofthewindowatsomeacquaintances。
　　“IwonderifthereisanythingmorethatIcantellyou？“sheaskedpresently。
　　Heturnedtowardsherwithafaintsmile。
　　“Youhavetoldme，“hesaid，“allthatIwanttoknow。“
　　Shewasstruckbythechangeinhisface，thequietnessofhistonewasominous。
　　“AmImeanttounderstand？“shesaiddubiously“becauseIdon’tintheleast。Itseemstomethathavetoldyounothing。IcannotimaginewhatMr。Brottandyouhaveincommon。“
　　“Ifyourinvitationtolunchstillholdsgood，“hesaid，“mayI
　　acceptit？Afterwards，ifyoucansparemeafewminutesIwillmakethingsquitecleartoyou。
　　Shelaughed。
　　“Youwillfind，“shedeclared，“thatIshallleaveyoulittlepeaceforluncheon。Iamconsumedwithcuriosity。“