n to the Englishman, who
seemed not a little mystified to find his domestic history so
interesting to these lordly foreigners.

"Where is your father buried?" inquired Sobieska courteously.

"Dunno, sir. I was awye when 'e died. Landlidey said as 'ow a strange
gent came, buried 'im an' took 'is hinsurance pipers awye with 'im. Sed
'e was the guvnor's brother."

"Did you ever see this uncle?" he asked suavely.

"No, sir. Never knew I 'ad one. Guvnor sed 'e was the only child."

"Did you claim the insurance?"

Carrick paused long before replying. When he spoke again his tone was
decidedly hostile.

"What's all this got to do with my bein' a spy? These things about my
guvnor an' me are personal matters. I don't see as 'ow I'm bound to
answer such questions." His face reddened slowly and then he added
impressively, "This much I'll admit to my own discredit, though."

Sobieska bent forward even more closely in anticipation.

"The guvnor an' me," continued Carrick, "didn't allus 'it hit off
together, so you see I didn't know much about 'is affairs. I said
hinsurance pipers, because they looked like 'em to me. They might not
'ave been, but the guvnor set a great store by 'em. Captain Carter can
tell as 'ow I told 'im all this at Santiago." He turned to his master
for confirmation.

"It is true," said the latter.

Still the Minister was not satisfied to relax his intimate
investigations. Her Grace of Schallberg appeared an interested listener
and had lost not a syllable of what had been said. The remaining
Counselors were patiently expectant of translation as English was a
closed door to them. Josef on the other hand would have gladly welcomed
a divertisement though clearly afraid to inaugurate one. For some subtle
reason he was very uneasy. Since Carrick's assertion that a stranger had
purloined valuable papers from his father, the Gray Man had seemed to
fear an unexpected revelation of some sort. Sobieska seemed to scent
this secret fear and was willing to play with Josef's susceptibility.

"When did your father die?" asked the Count after a pause which had
threatened to become intense, during which Josef had shifted uneasily.

"Fifteen years ago come the seventh of August."

"Where?"

"Twelve Tottinam Plyce, Whitechapel."

"Is the landlady living?"

"Now 'ow the devil should I know? I beg your pardon, again, Your Grace,
but this man is badgerin' me orful." Her smile asked him to be patient
so he turned