leeping quarters, sir, Miss Lorne requested me to say
that she had spoken to mistress, and you were to have any vacant suite
in the house which might best meet your pleasure, sir. I was to wait
here and conduct you through all the unoccupied ones in the house."

Cleek smiled. Oho! That was it, eh? Well, there was a thoughtful ally
and no mistake! Knowing full well that it would be awkward for him to be
put off into some inconvenient wing of the house, should he have cause
to leave it secretly and to communicate with Dollops and Narkom at any
time, she had taken this step to serve and to assist him. What a woman!
What a gem of a woman she was!

His thoughts worked rapidly, and his mind was made up in a twinkling.

"Quite so, quite so! Very kind and very thoughtful," he said composedly.
"I always prefer the second story of a building--it's a fad of mine,
and Miss Lorne recollects it. So if there are any rooms vacant upon the
second floor----"

"Only one, sir, and it's the least comfortable one in the house, I'm
afraid, being next to that occupied by Lord St. Ulmer."

"Lord St.--oh, ah--yes! That's the gentleman who is ill, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir. That's why I spoke of it as being uncomfortable. Butler says
he's a very crochety gentleman. But sick folk are always that, sir; so
maybe you'd be disturbed a deal in the night."

"Hum-m-m! Yes, that is a drawback, certainly. Might take it into his
head to get up and wander about during the night, and so keep one awake.
Does he?"

"I couldn't say, sir; never set eyes on him since he arrived. Nobody in
the house has except master and butler. Don't think he would be likely
to move about much, though, sir, for I've heard his ankle's sprained and
he can't put a foot to the ground. Butler always carries up his meals;
at least, he has done it so far, his lordship having arrived only the
night before last. Like as not I'll have to carry up his dinner
to-night, this being, as I've said, sir, butler's evening off."

Cleek made a mental tally. Then if none of the servants at the Grange
had seen his lordship, with the single exception of Johnston, the
butler---- Quite so, quite so! His lordship wouldn't know what the other
servants were like, so, of course---- He glanced at the footman out of
the tail of his eye. Livery, dark bottle-green--almost black; would pass
for black in anything but a brilliant light. Waistcoat, narrow black and
yellow stripes. No cords, no silver buttons. Hu