was wounded, but he would not show it.

'With pleasure, sir.'

'To-night,' Hugo proceeded, 'you can occupy my bed in the dome;' and he
pointed to the spot where, during the day, the bed lay ingeniously
hidden in a recess of the wall. 'I shall no longer need it. To-morrow we
can make some more permanent arrangement for you.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Also,' Hugo continued, 'I would like you to go along to the offices of
the _Morning Post_ for me some time to-night before ten o'clock and take
this. There will be a guinea to pay.' Hugo handed him a slip of paper.

'Yes, sir.'

'Read it,' said Hugo.

And Simon read: '"A marriage has been arranged, and"--and--has taken
place, sir?'

'Precisely.'

'Precisely, sir. "Has taken place at Hythe between Mr. Owen Hugo, of
Sloane Street, London, and Mrs. Camilla Tudor, widow of the late Mr.
Francis Tudor."'

'You are the first to know, Simon.'

Simon bowed.

'May I respectfully venture to wish you every happiness, sir?' Simon
pronounced at his most formal.

'No, you may not,' said Hugo. 'But you may shake hands with me.'

And he respectfully ventured to explain to Simon how, in the case of a
man like himself, with three thousand five hundred tongues ever ready to
wag about him, absolute secrecy had been the only policy.

'Telephone down to the refreshment department for Tortoni to come up to
me instantly. I must order a dinner for two. My wife and her maid will
be here in half an hour. I shall not want you--at any rate, before
ten-thirty or so.'

'Yes, sir. And the maid?'

'What about the maid?'

'You said you would order dinner for two, sir.'

'Look here, Simon,' said Hugo. 'If you will take the maid down to dine
in the Central Restaurant and keep her there--take her with you for a
drive to the _Morning Post_--I shall regard it as a favour. Catch!' And
he threw to Simon the gold token, which made Simon master of all the
good things in the entire building. 'Make use of that.'

Simon felt a little nervous at the prospect. He had not seen the maid.
However, he hoped for the best, and assured Hugo of his delight.

'I forgot to inform you, sir,' he turned back to tell Hugo as he was
leaving the room, 'Doctor Darcy called again to-day. He has called
several times the last few days. He said he might look in again
to-night.'

The bridegroom started.

'If he should,' Hugo ordered, 'don't say I'm in till you've warned me.'

'Yes, sir.'

Three hours later the bride and