BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 193
therefore he had no grievance. He liked Walter Milbanke, and occasionally did business with him. He enjoyed Mrs. Milbanke's little parties ; and he loved Dolly devotedly ; why, therefore, should he give the Milbankes reason to fight shy of him ? No, he would continue the friendship if they would let him. He could not help thinking Philip a bit of a snob ; but for Dolly's sake he would try and like him. Besides, there is many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip ; the safest stock would occasionally collapse. No- thing was certain except settling day; even that had a bright side to it now and then ; and he determined to keep alive just for his own smoking, as he called it, his fancy for Dolly Norcott.
The fellows at the City Club where Sam was lunching with these reflections in his mind, while Dolly and Jennie were having their after-breakfast discussion, gave Sam credit for a very different line of thought from that which engaged him. It was known that he had made what they called a haul in nitrate rails and primitivas. A genial, clever, merry fellow, Sam had attracted the friendly notice of the master of those stocks, who over a chop and a bottle of Roederer had confided to Sam certain information upon which the young broker had acted with a lively faith and a firm hand, which had had remarkable results.
" Just bought an estate in Surrey, I hear," said Cordiner. " Well, I congratulate you."
" I've had one in Spain any time this ten years," said Sam. ll It won't run to Surrey."
11 There is no fellow going whose good luck is less envied than yours, Sam."
" And you ? " said Sam, looking up from his simple repast and contemplating his suave, genial, well-fed, clean- shaven, fashionably-dressed friend.
u Oh ! " said Cordiner, " if my doctor did not interfere
with my champagne, and Providence invented for one's
13
