第18章
“Youcarryyouryearswell，Mr。Sabin。Yetwhileweareonthesubject，doyouknowthatLondonistheunhealthiestcityintheworld？“
“Iamalwaysremarkablywellhere，“Mr。Sabinsaiddrily。
“Londonhaschangedsinceyourlastvisit，“LordRobertsaid，withagentlesmile。“BelievemeifIsay-asyoursincerewell-wisher-thatthereissomethingintheairatpresentpositivelyunwholesometoyou。Iamnotsurethatunwholesomeisnottooweakaword。“
“Isthisofficial？“Mr。Sabinaskedquietly。
Theyoungmanfingeredthegoldchainwhichdisappearedinhistrouserspocket。
“NeedIintroducemyself？“heasked。
“Quiteunnecessary，“Mr。Sabinassuredhim。“Permitmetoreflectforafewminutes。Yourvisitcomesuponmeasasurprise。Willyousmoke？Therearecigarettesatyourelbow。“
“Iamentirelyatyourservice，“LordRobertanswered。“Thanks，I
willtryoneofyourcigarettes。Youwerealwaysfamousforyourtobacco。“
Therewasashortsilence。Mr。Sabinhadseldomfounditmoredifficulttoseethewaybeforehim。
“Iimagined，“hesaidatlast，“fromseverallittleincidentswhichoccurredprevioustomyleavingNewYorkthatmypresenceherewasregardedassuperfluous。Doyouknow，IbelievethatIcouldconvinceyoutothecontrary。“
LordRobertraisedhiseyebrows。
“Mr。dearMr。Sabin，“hesaid，“prayreflect。Iamamessenger。
Nomore！Ahiredcommissionaire！“
Mr。Sabinbowed。
“Youareanambassador！“hesaid。
Theyoungmanshookhishead。
“Youmagnifymyposition，“hedeclared。“MyerrandisdonewhenI
remindyouthatitismanyyearssinceyouvisitedParis，thatViennaisasfascinatingacityasever，andPesthafewhoursjourneybeyond。ButLondon-no，Londonisnotpossibleforyou。
AftertheseventhdayfromthisLondonwouldbeworsethanimpossible。“
Mr。Sabinsmokedthoughtfullyforafewmoments。
“LordRobert，“hesaid，“Ihave，Ibelieve，therightofapersonalappeal。Idesiretomakeit。“
LordRobertlookedpositivelydistressed。
“Mydearsir，“hesaid，“therightofappeal，anyrightofanysort，belongsonlytothosewithinthecircle。“
“Exactly，“Mr。Sabinagreed。“Iclaimtobelongthere。“
LordRobertsshruggedhisshoulders。
“Youforcemetoremindyou，“hesaid，“ofacertaindecree-adecreeofexpulsionpassedfiveyearsago，andofwhichIpresumeduenotificationwasgiventoyou。“
Mr。Sabinshookhisheadveryslowly。
“Idenythelegalityofthatdecree，“hesaid。“Therecanbenosuchthingasexpulsion。“
“TherewasLefanu，“LordRobertmurmured。
“Hedied，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Thatwasreasonableenough。“
“Yourserviceshadbeengreat，“LordRobertsaid，“andyourfaultwasbutvenial。“
“Nevertheless，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“theonewaslogical，theotherisnot。“
“Youclaim，then，“theyoungmansaid，“tobestillwithinthecircle？“
“Certainly！“
“Youareawarethatthisisaverydangerousclaim？“
Mr。Sabinsmiled，buthesaidnothing。LordRoberthastenedtoexcusehimself。
“Ibegyourpardon，“hesaid。“Ishouldhaveknownbetterthantohaveusedsuchawordtoyou。Permitmetotakemyleave。“
Mr。Sabinrose。
“Ithankyou，sir，“hesaid，“forthecourteousmannerinwhichyouhavedischargedyourmission。“
LordRobertbowed。
“Mygoodwishes，“hesaid，“areyours。“
Mr。SabinwhenalonecalledDusontohim。
“Haveyouanyreporttomake，Duson？“heasked。
“None，sir！“
Mr。Sabindismissedhimimpatiently。
“Afterall，Iamgettingold。Heisyoungandheisstrong-aworthyantagonist。Come，letusseewhatthislittlevolumehastosayabouthim。“
Heturnedoverthepagesrapidlyandreadaloud。
“ReginaldCyrilBrott，born18-，sonofJohnReginaldBrott，Esq。，ofManchester。EducatedatHarrowandMertonCollege，Cambridge，M。A。，LL。D。，andwinneroftheRudlockHistoryPrize。Alsotenthwrangler。Enteredthediplomaticserviceonleavingcollege，andservedasjuniorattacheatVienna。“
Mr。Sabinlaiddownthevolume，andmadealittlecalculation。Attheendofithehadmadeadiscovery。Hisfacewasverywhiteandset。
“IwasatPetersburg，“hemuttered。“NowIthinkofit，IheardsomethingofayoungEnglishattache。But-“
Hetouchedthebell。
“Duson，acarriage！“
AtCamperdownHousehelearnedthatHelenewasout-shopping，thehallporterbelieved。Mr。SabindroveslowlydownBondStreet，andwasrewardedbyseeingherbroughamoutsideafamousmilliner’s。Hewaitedforheruponthepavement。Presentlyshecameoutandsmiledhergreetingsuponhim。
“Youwerewaitingforme？“sheasked。
“Isawyourcarriage。“
“Howdelightfulofyou。Letmetakeyoubacktoluncheon。“
Heshookhishead。
“Iamafraid，“hesaid，“thatIshouldbepoorcompany。MayI
drivehomewithyou，atanyrate，whenyouhavefinished？“
“Ofcourseyoumay，andforluncheonweshallbequitealone，unlesssomebodydropsin。“
Hetookhisseatbesideherinthecarriage。“Helene，“hesaid，“I
aminterestedinMr。Brott。No，don’tlookatmelikethat。Youneedhavenofear。Myinterestisinhimasaman，andnotasapolitician。Theotherdaysareoveranddonewithnow。Iamonthedefensiveandhardpressed。“
Herfacewasbrightwithsympathy。Sheforgoteverythingexceptheroldadmirationforhim。Intheclashingoftheirwillsthevictoryhadremainedwithher。Andasforthosethingswhichhehaddone，thecauseatleasthadbeenagreatone。Herhappinesshadcometoherthroughhim。Sheborehimnogrudgeforthatfierceoppositionwhich，afterall，hadbeenfruitless。
“Ibelieveyou，UNCLE，“shesaidaffectionately。“IfIcanhelpyouinanywayIwill。“
“ThisMr。Brott！Hegoesverylittleintosociety，Ibelieve。“
“Scarcelyever，“sheanswered。“HecametousbecausemyhusbandisoneofthefewRadicalpeers。“
“Youhavenotheardofanyrecentchangeinhim-inthisrespect？“
“Well，IdidhearWolfendonchaffinghimtheotherdayaboutsomebody，“shesaid。“Oh，Iknow。HehasbeengoingoftentotheDuchessofDorset’s。HeissuchanultraRadical，youknow，andtheDorsetsarefierceTories。WolfendonsaysitisamostunwisethingforagoodRadicalwhowantstoretaintheconfidenceofthepeopletobeseenaboutwithaDuchess。“
“TheDuchessofDorset，“Mr。Sabinremarked，“mustbe，well-amiddle-agedwoman。“
Helenelaughed。
“Sheissixtyifsheisaday。ButIdaresaysheherselfisnottheattraction。Thereisaverybeautifulwomanstayingwithher-theCountessRadantz。AHungarian，Ibelieve。“
Mr。Sabinsatquitestill。HisfacewasturnedawayfromHelene。
Sheherselfwassmilingoutofthewindowatsomeacquaintances。
“IwonderifthereisanythingmorethatIcantellyou？“sheaskedpresently。
Heturnedtowardsherwithafaintsmile。
“Youhavetoldme，“hesaid，“allthatIwanttoknow。“
Shewasstruckbythechangeinhisface，thequietnessofhistonewasominous。
“AmImeanttounderstand？“shesaiddubiously“becauseIdon’tintheleast。Itseemstomethathavetoldyounothing。IcannotimaginewhatMr。Brottandyouhaveincommon。“
“Ifyourinvitationtolunchstillholdsgood，“hesaid，“mayI
acceptit？Afterwards，ifyoucansparemeafewminutesIwillmakethingsquitecleartoyou。
Shelaughed。
“Youwillfind，“shedeclared，“thatIshallleaveyoulittlepeaceforluncheon。Iamconsumedwithcuriosity。“