nted was your perquisite?"

"Yes, sor."

"Very well, Rafferty, that will do for to-night; get me those receipted
bills to-morrow morning. Come here at ten o'clock and we will have another
talk."

Rafferty went off, feeling more comfortable in his mind.

The word Perquisites might be made to cover a multitude of sins, but he
would not have been so easy if he had known that Mrs. Driscoll had been
called up immediately after his departure. Mrs. Driscoll was one of those
terrible people who say nothing yet see everything; for the last year and
a half she had been watching Rafferty; knowing it to be quite useless to
report what she knew to her easy-going master, she had, none the less,
kept on watching. As a result, she was now able to bring up a hard fact, a
small hard fact more valuable than worlds of ductile evidence. Rafferty
had "nicked"--it was the lady's expression--a brand-new lawn mower.

"I declare to God, sir, I don't know what he _has_ took, for me eyes can't
be everywhere, but I do know he's took the mower."

"Why did you not tell Miss Phyl?"

"I did, sir, and she only said, 'Oh, there must be a mistake--what would
he be doin' with it,' says she. 'Sellin' it,' says I. 'Nonsense,' says
she. You see, sir, Rafferty and she has always been hand in glove, what
with the fishin' and shootin', and the horses and such like, and she won't
hear a word against him."

Mrs. Driscoll had called Rafferty a sly devil--he was.

At eleven o'clock next morning, Phyl, crossing the stable yard with some
sugar for the horses, met Rafferty. He was crying.

"Why, what on earth's the matter, Rafferty?" asked the girl.

"I've got the shove, miss," replied Rafferty, "after all me years of
service, I'm put out to end me days in a ditch."

"You mean you're discharged!" she cried. "Was it Mr. Pinckney?"

"That's him," replied Rafferty. "Says he's the masther of us all. 'Out you
get,' says he, 'or it's I that'll be callin' a p'leeceman to put you,'
says he. Flung it in me face that I'd stolen a laan mower. Me that's ben
on the estate man and boy for forty year. A laan mower! Sure, Miss Phyl,
what would I be doin' with a laan mower?"

Phyl turned from him and ran to the house. Pinckney and Hennessey were
seated in the library when the door burst open and in came Phyl. Her eyes
were bright and her lips were pale.

"You told me you would keep all the servants," said she. "Rafferty tells
me you have dismissed him."

"I should th