Miss Clay was back now and Tony was once more the humble understudy though with a heart full of happy knowledge of what it is like to be a real actress with a doting public at her feet.

Tony and Phil were obviously exceedingly good friends.

Besides the family, there were two or three theatrical friends of Chloe's, and two friends of my father'sa youngish literary man called Bryan, and the cabinet minister to whom Tony was secretary, but whom I will not name, because he might not care for it to be generally known that he was an inmate of so fast a household.

[Illustration] Now Tony was a good boy, but very fond of playing, and in the winter season nothing delighted him more than to go a skating with the neighbors' children.

Tony might be a long time before he joined her, but for old Oliver the parting would be but short.

Lord Tony was a healthy young Englishman with no particular qualities calling for comment, and his wife an equally charming young French heroine.