The Twelfth

J.K. Stanford

Published by Faber & Faber limited, hardcover, illustrated

GEORGE PROTERON

That ?" said the Club secretary, as he followed his guest's eyes across the smoking-room. "Oh, that's old George Proteron: they say he's still one of the ten or twelve best shots in the Kingdom!"

"Proteron?" queried Charles Savile; "any relation of the Bill Proteron who used to be Master of the Blankman? He was a bit of a menace when I used to hunt with them."
"Yes, I believe they're half-brothers, and haven't spoken for thirty years. Bill thinks a fox is sacred except when he's after it, whereas if old George P. ever saw a fox in his part of Cambridgeshire, he'd write to his member and the County Council and The Times about it and put down strychnine all over the estate as if it was artificial manure ...! He only lives for shooting on the largest possible scale. We call him here the old Grouse-cock!"

The stout baldish little man with the scarlet face, who had been staring fiercely at the papers on the big centre-table of the smoking-room, seized one, chuckled a swift order at a waiter, and strutted away towards the third fire-place. His alert carriage, the bristling red eyebrows above the pink-brown eyes, the rich heather-mixture tweeds and grey spats, all set off by that commanding beak of a nose, made plain to Charles Savile how he had come by his nickname. One glance from him was enough to deter a nervous country-member from any designs on his favourite arm-chair, into which the Grouse-cock settled as of ancient right. He gave a swift challenging look round the room, then wrapped himself in the Squire and the smoke of his cigar.

"Apt enough name for him: he must be Bill Proteron's brother all right," said Charles Savile. "Teil me some more about him." He knew his host, Martin Kenyon, was a walking Who's Who of the twelve hundred members of the Qu'hais' Club, and was reputed to know them all by name, sight, foible and even overdraft.
Martin Kenyon mused for a moment, and dien began:
"Colonel the Honourable George Hysteron-Proteron, C.B., J.P., .......................