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Let us stop him at the top of the hill on some excuse, and have a good look at him.

The first thing we realize is that he is doing more of the looking than we are.

Above a clean-cut, clean-shaven face, of the type usually associated with the Navy, he carries a pair of grey eyes which seem to be absorbing every detail of our person.

To strangers this look is almost alarming at first, until they discover that his mind is very often elsewhere; that he has, so to speak, left his eyes on guard, while he himself follows a train of thought in another direction.

Many people do this, of course; when, for instance, they are talking to one person and trying to listen to another; but their eyes betray them.

Antony's never did.

He had seen a good deal of the world with those eyes, though never as a sailor. When at the age of twenty-one he came into his mother's money, 400 pounds a year, old Gillingham looked up from the "Stockbreeders' Gazette" to ask what he was going to do.

"See the world," said Antony.

"Well, send me a line from America, or wherever you get to."

"Right," said Antony.

Old Gillingham returned to his paper. Antony was a younger son, and, on the whole, not so interesting to his father as the cadets of certain other families; Champion Birket's, for instance. But, then, Champion Birket was the best Hereford bull he had ever bred.

Antony, however, had no intention of going further away than London.

His idea of seeing the world was to see, not countries, but people; and to see them from as many angles as possible.

There are all sorts in London if you know how to look at them.

So Antony looked at them-from various strange corners; from the view-point of the valet, the newspaper-reporter, the waiter, the shop-assistant.

With the independence of 400 pounds a year behind him, he enjoyed it immensely.

He never stayed long in one job, and generally closed his connection with it by telling his employer (contrary to all etiquette as understood between master and servant) exactly what he thought of him.

He had no difficulty in finding a new profession.

Instead of experience and testimonials he offered his personality and a sporting bet.

He would take no wages the first month, and-if he satisfied his employer-double wages the second.

He always got his double wages.

He was now thirty.

He had come to Waldheim for a holiday, because he liked the look of the station.

His ticket entitled him to travel further, but he had always intended to please himself in the matter.

Waldheim attracted him, and he had a suit-case in the carriage with him and money in his pocket.

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