cupied by a sergeant of the Guards, who
rose on seeing me.

"What do you want?" he inquired brusquely.

"I desire to see the Home Secretary without loss of time," I answered.
"I am the bearer of very important information, and it is most
imperative that I should see him at once."

"What is the information?" the man inquired suspiciously. "The Home
Secretary sees no one except on the most urgent business now."

"My business is the most urgent possible," I returned. "If you will take
my name to him, I feel sure he will see me."

"I shall do nothing of the kind," replied the sergeant, "so you had
better take yourself off. We don't want any of your kind about here just
now. There's enough trouble without having you to look after."

"But I must see him!" I cried in despair. "You don't know what you are
doing when you try to stop me. I have a confession to make to him, and
make it I will at any hazard. Take me to him at once, or I shall find
him myself."

The man was moving toward me with the evident intention of putting me
into the street, when a door opened and the Home Secretary, Sir Edward
Grangerfield, stood before me. When last I had seen him at the Duchess
of Amersham's ball--I remembered that he congratulated me on my
engagement on that occasion--he had looked in the prime of life. Now he
was an old man, borne down by the weight of sorrow and responsibility
which the plague had placed upon his shoulders. From the way he looked
at me it was plain he did not recognise me.

"Sir Edward," I said, "is it possible I am so much changed that you do
not know me? I am Cyril Forrester."

"Cyril Forrester!" he cried in amazement, coming a step closer to me as
he spoke. "Surely not? But it is, I see. Why, man, how changed you are!
What brings you here, and what is it you want with me? I have not much
time to spare. I have an appointment with the Public Health Commission
in a quarter of an hour."

"So much the better," I answered, "for you will then be able to acquaint
them with the circumstances I am about to reveal to you. Sir Edward, I
must have a few moments' conversation with you alone. I have a
confession to make to you--the most hideous tale to pour into your ears
that ever man confided to another." Then, recollecting myself, I
continued, "But it must not be here. It must be in the open air, or I
shall infect you."

He looked at me in a curious fashion.

"You need have no fear on that score," he said. "I have