It was Sir Maurice Falconer, a man he longed to boast his friend.

With his aid a man might climb to the highest social peaks.
When Mrs.Dangerfield introduced him as her brother (he had never dreamed it) he could not believe his good fortune.

But why had he not learned this splendid fact before?
Why had he been kept in the dark?
He did not reflect that he had been so continuously busy making confidences about himself, his possessions and his exploits to her that he had given her the smallest opportunities of telling him anything about herself.
But he was not one to lose a golden opportunity; he set about making up for lost time with a will; and never had he so thoroughly demonstrated his right to the name of Pallybaster.

His friendliness was overwhelming.

Before the end of lunch he had invited Sir Maurice to dine with him at his mess, to dine with him at two of his clubs, to shoot with him, to ride a horse of his in the forthcoming regimental steeplechases, to go with him on a yachting cruise in the Mediterranean.
All through the afternoon his friendliness grew and grew.