280 THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN 



grey-haired elderly man of distinguished bearing 

 entered the room. 



When Lord Balcombe had finished greeting 

 his colleague, he noticed that Lord Gorbals and 

 I were regarding one another with that expres- 

 sion of aloof hostility customarily assumed by 

 persons who have not been introduced. 



" This is Theodore Biffin's son," he explained. 

 " Don't you recognize him ? He tells me that 

 you and he are old friends." 



Lord Gorbals continued to gaze at me some- 

 what coldly. 



" I have never had the pleasure of making this 

 young man's acquaintance," he said. " And, 

 unless I'm greatly mistaken, Theodore Biffin has 

 no son." 



Lord Balcombe turned to me with surprise. 



" You told me " he began. 



" There's been a little mistake," I stam- 

 mered. " Let me explain " 



" A little mistake !" he interrupted angrily. 

 " You come here pretending to be Theodore's 

 boy, when he hasn't got a boy ! You tell me 

 you know Lord Gorbals intimately, when you've 

 never even met him ! You quote Shakespeare 

 to me, and Dickens, and George Eliot " 



" Excuse me. Lord Balcombe," I protested, 

 stirred by the injustice of this last accusation; 

 " reaUy, I " 



