"Oh no, no, no," exclaimed Sir Chichester, quickly. He glanced with a swift and experienced eye down the columns, and tossed the paper aside.
"Might I have another?"
The second paper was disposed of as rapidly as the first, and the others followed in their turn.
"Nothing in them," said Sir Chichester with a resigned air. "Nothing in them at all."
Millie Splay laughed.
"All that my husband means is that his name is not to be found in any one of them."
"The occurrence seems so rare that he has no great reason to complain," said Hillyard; and, in order to assuage any disappointment which might still be rankling in the baronet's bosom, Hillyard related at the dinner-table, with the necessary discretions, his election to the mess at Senga.
Sir Chichester was elated. "So far away my name is known! Really, that is very pleasant hearing!"
There was no offence to him in the reason of his honorary membership of the Senga mess, which, however carefully Hillyard sought to hide it, could not but peep out. Sir Chichester neither harboured illusions himself as to his importance nor sought to foster them in others. There was none of the "How do these things get into the papers?" about him.