Fortunate youth to possess a Croesus for a father:" "Yes; I suppose the governor must be tremendously oafish," said Stafford.
"The man who can build such a palace as that, and have the cool cheek to call it 'a little place,' must in common decency be a multi-millionaire." Stafford nodded and smoked thoughtfully for a minute as Pottinger left the horses' heads and climbed into his seat behind, and the mail-phaeton moved along the road, which began to dip down at this point.
"I know so little about my father," he said again.
"And yet the world knows so much," remarked Howard, throwing open his waterproof and basking in the sun which shone as warmly and unreservedly as if it had never heard of such a thing as rain.

"One can't take up the paper without seeing some mention of Sir Stephen Orme's great name.

One day he is in Paris negotiating a state loan; another you read he is annexing, appropriating, or whatever you call it, a vast tract in Africa or Asia; on the third you are informed with all solemnity that he has become director of a new bank, insurance company, or one of those vast concerns in which only Rothschilds and Barings can disport themselves.

Now and again you are informed that Sir Stephen Orme has been requested to stand for an important constituency, but that he was compelled to decline because of the pressure of his numerous affairs.

There may be a more famous and important individual in the world than your father, my dear Stafford, but I can't call him to mind at this moment." "Chaff away," said Stafford, good-humouredly.