Robert M. McBride & Company

NEW YORK MCMXXV

COPYRIGHT, 1925, BY ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY
PUBLISHED
AUGUST
1925
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Dedication
To All Poor Gentlemen

ILLUSTRATIONS

Mr. Petre wondering who or what he may have been [Frontispiece]
PAGE
“... As though he were a Unicorn” [11]
“... And the two ex-Lord-Chancellors agreed” [27]
Mrs. Cyril leaping to the telephone [37]
His Grace the Proprietor of the “Messenger”conferring the Order of the Boot on Mr. Batterby,of Golder’s Green in the County of Middlesex [52]
Sir Jeremiah Walton, God’s servant [57]
Minatory but Patient Admonishment of the IgnobleAlgernon by Breeches of Bolter’s Club,St. James’ (S.W.1) [62]
“... Spectacles adorning a face like the fullmoon” [69]
“His forehead witnessed to a lifetime of profoundthought, his white beard to carefulgrooming” [72]
The Partners [89]
“Exactly. I quite understand” [99]
Dada Beeston (Dorothea Madua, second andyounger daughter of Henry, 10th Baron Beeston,of Beeston Abbey, Beeston, Rutlandshire;and of Desirée Waldschwein, his wife) [131]
“One had chosen Public Service, the other—Affairs” [138]
“He used to think in three figures; he was nowthinking in five” [144]
Young Mr. Cassleton, growing acquainted withthe World of Affairs [150]
The Public discovering no small appetite for theDebentures at 8% [173]
“He had decided” [189]
The Great Specialist wrote:—“Special circumstances:A Bastard” [199]
The second and more jovial Great Specialist, SirWilliam Bland [208]
Joyous recognition of Buffy Thomas [218]
John Kosciusko protesting against the interferenceof Peers in Judicial Procedure [267]
Ermyntrude, First (and Last) ViscountessBoole: Lord Chancellor of England [272]

MR. PETRE

MR. PETRE

CHAPTER I