For a moment he stared at his visitor, speechless.

Then certain points of familiarity--the well-shaped nose, the rather deep-set grey eyes--presented themselves.

This surprise enabled him to infuse a little real heartiness into his welcome.
"My dear Sir Everard!" he exclaimed.

"This is a most unexpected pleasure--most unexpected! Such a pity, too, that we only posted a draft for your allowance a few days ago.

Dear me--you'll forgive my saying so--how well you look!" Dominey smiled as he accepted an easy chair.
"Africa's a wonderful country, Mangan," he remarked, with just that faint note of patronage in his tone which took his listener back to the days of his present client's father.
"It--pardon my remarking it--has done wonderful things for you, Sir Everard.