Hitherto he had found none.

Everything had been terribly dry and hard, and he had gathered as yet none of the fruit which he had expected that his good fortune would bear for him.

It is true that he had not as yet gone among any friends, except those of his club, and men who were in the House along with him;--and at the club it might be that there were some who envied him his good fortune, and others who thought nothing of it because it had been theirs for years.

Now he would try a friend who, he hoped, could sympathise; and therefore he called in Portman Square at about half-past two on the Sunday morning.

Yes,--Lady Laura was in the drawing-room.