Montague saw him clamber laboriously into his automobile, and then he turned to his brother.

“Oliver,” he asked, “what in the devil does this mean?”

“What mean?” asked Oliver, innocently.

“That man,” exclaimed the other.

“Why, I thought you would like to meet him,” said Oliver; “he is an interesting chap.”

“I am in no mood for fooling,” said his brother, angrily.  “Why in the world should you insult Alice by introducing such a man to her?”

“Why, you are talking nonsense!” exclaimed Oliver; “he knows the best people—­”

“Where did you meet him?” asked Montague.

“Mrs. Landis introduced him to me first.  She met him through a cousin of hers, a naval officer.  He has been living in Brooklyn this winter.  He knows all the navy people.”

“What is it, anyway?” demanded Montague, impatiently.  “Is it some business affair that you are interested in?”

“No, no,” said Oliver, smiling cheerfully—­“purely social.  He wants to be introduced about, you know.”

“Are you going to put him into Society, by any chance?” asked the other, sarcastically.

“You are warm, as the children say,” laughed his brother.

Montague stared at him.  “Oliver, you don’t mean it,” he said.  “That fellow in Society!”

“Sure,” said Oliver, “if he wants to.  Why not?”

“But his wife and his daughters!” exclaimed the other.

“Oh, that’s not it—­the family stays in Pittsburg.  It’s only himself this time.  All the same,” Oliver added, after a pause, “I’d like to wager you that if you were to meet Jim Gamble’s four prize daughters, you’d find it hard to tell them from the real thing.  They’ve been to a swell boarding-school, and they’ve had everything that money can buy them.  My God, but I’m tired of hearing about their accomplishments!”

“But do you mean to tell me,” the other protested, “that your friends will stand for a man like that?”

“Some of them will.  He’s got barrels of money, you know.  And he understands the situation perfectly—­he won’t make many mistakes.”

“But what in the world does he want?”

“Leave that to him.”

“And you,” demanded Montague; “you are getting money for this?”

Oliver smiled a long and inscrutable smile.  “You don’t imagine that I’m in love with him, I trust.  I thought you’d be interested to see the game, that’s why I introduced him.”

“That’s all very well,” said the other.  “But you have no right to inflict such a man upon Alice.”

“Oh, stuff!” said Oliver.  “She’ll meet him at Newport this summer, anyway.  How could I introduce him anywhere else, if I wasn’t willing to introduce him here?  He won’t hurt Alice.  He gave her a good time this evening, and I wager she’ll like him before he gets through.  He’s really a good-natured chap; the chief trouble with him is that he gets confidential.”