But, if that were so, he did not act quite up to
his intention. Instead, he stretched out his arm, pointing at them as if
he were an accusing spirit:

"Will you swear that it was the duchess who got into the carriage outside
Cane and Wilson's?"

Barnes began to stammer:

"I'll swear, your grace, that I--I thought--"

The duke stormed an interruption:

"I don't ask what you thought. I ask you, will you swear it was?"

The duke's anger was more than Barnes could face. He was silent. Moysey
showed a larger courage.

"I could have sworn that it was at the time, your grace. But now it seems
to me that it's a rummy go."

"A rummy go!" The peculiarity of the phrase did not seem to strike the
duke just then--at least, he echoed it as if it didn't. "You call it a
rummy go! Do you know that I am told in this letter that the woman who
entered the carriage was not the duchess? What you were thinking about, or
what case you will be able to make out for yourselves, you know better
than I; but I can tell you this--that in an hour you will leave my
service, and you may esteem yourselves fortunate if, to-night, you are not
both of you sleeping in jail."

One might almost have suspected that the words were spoken in irony. But
before they could answer, another servant entered, who also brought a
letter for the duke. When his grace's glance fell on it he uttered an
exclamation. The writing on the envelope was the same writing that had
been on the envelope which had contained the very singular
communication--like it in all respects, down to the broomstick-end
thickness of the "Private!" and "Very pressing!!!" in the corner.

"Who brought this?" stormed the duke.

The servant appeared to be a little startled by the violence of his
grace's manner.

"A lady--or, at least, your grace, she seemed to be a lady."

"Where is she?"

"She came in a hansom, your grace. She gave me that letter, and said,
'Give that to the Duke of Datchet at once--without a moment's delay!' Then
she got into the hansom again, and drove away."

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"Your grace!"

The man seemed surprised, as though the idea of stopping chance visitors
to the ducal mansion _vi et armis_ had not, until that moment, entered
into his philosophy. The duke continued to regard the man as if he could
say a good deal, if he chose. Then he pointed to the door. His lips said
nothing, but his gesture much. The servant vanished.

"Another hoax!" the du