“Well, I slid into the Drones this morning for a bite of lunch, and found him in a dark corner of the smoking-room looking like the last rose of summer. Naturally I was surprised. You know what a bright lad he is as a rule. The life and soul of every gathering he attends.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Quite the little lump of fun, in fact.”

“Precisely, sir.”

“Well, I made inquiries, and he told me that he had had a quarrel with the girl he’s engaged to. You knew he was engaged to Miss Elizabeth Vickers?”

“Yes, sir. I recall reading the announcement in the Morning Post .”