the cottage next door to Platt’s farm, so, you see, it was the identical chappie.  We got extremely matey.  Like brothers.  Absolutely!  So you can understand what a shock it gave me when I found what I took to be the same man serving bracers to the multitude the same evening.  One of those nasty jars that cause a fellow’s head to swim a bit, don’t you know, and make him lose confidence in himself.”

Lord Belpher did not reply.  His brain was whirling.  So he had been right after all!

“You know,” pursued Reggie seriously, “I think you are making the bloomer of a lifetime over this hat-swatting chappie.  You’ve misjudged him.  He’s a first-rate sort.  Take it from me!  Nobody could have got out of the bunker at the fifteenth hole better than he did.  If you’ll take my advice, you’ll conciliate the feller.  A really first-class golfer is what you need in the family.  Besides, even leaving out of the question the fact that he can do things with a niblick that I didn’t think anybody except the pro. could do, he’s a corking good sort.  A stout fellow in every respect.  I took to the chappie.  He’s all right.  Grab him, Boots, before he gets away.  That’s my tip to you.  You’ll never regret it!  From first to last this lad didn’t foozle a single drive, and his approach-putting has to be seen to be believed.  Well, got to dress, I suppose.  Mustn’t waste life’s springtime sitting here talking to you.  Toodle-oo, laddie!  We shall meet anon!”

Lord Belpher leaped from his bed.  He was feeling worse than ever now, and a glance into the mirror told him that he looked rather worse than he felt.  Late nights and insufficient sleep, added to the need of a shave, always made him look like something that should have been swept up and taken away to the ash-bin.  And as for his physical condition, talking to Reggie Byng never tended to make you feel better when you had a headache.  Reggie’s manner was not soothing, and on this particular morning his choice of a topic had been unusually irritating.  Lord Belpher told himself that he could not understand Reggie.  He had never been able to make his mind quite clear as to the exact relations between the latter and his sister Maud, but he had always been under the impression that, if they were not actually engaged, they were on the verge of becoming so; and it was maddening to have to listen to Reggie advocating the claims of a rival as if he had no personal interest in the affair at all.  Percy felt for his complaisant friend something of the annoyance which a householder feels for the watchdog whom he finds fraternizing with the burglar.  Why, Reggie, more than anyone else, ought to be foaming with rage at the insolence of this American fellow in coming down to Belpher and planting himself at the castle gates.  Instead of which, on his own showing, he appeared to have adopted an attitude towards him which would have excited remark if adopted by David towards Jonathan.  He seemed to spend all his spare time frolicking with the man on the golf-links and hobnobbing with him in his house.