m-m-m! With a
black-and-yellow striped waistcoat and in a none too brilliantly lighted
room--and a sickroom was not likely to be anything else unless the man
was too much of an ass to keep up the illusion by attending to
details--an ordinary suit of evening clothes would do the trick. And he
wouldn't have a doctor and wouldn't see any outsiders, this Lord St.
Ulmer, eh? Oh, well--you never know your luck, my lord; you never do!

Mental processes are more rapid in the action than in the recording. Not
ten seconds had passed from the time the footman ceased speaking when
Cleek answered him.

"Oh, well, if it's a case like that, and his lordship isn't likely to
disturb me by wandering round his room in the night, I dare say I can
risk the rest, as I'm a very sound sleeper. The room's on the second
floor; that's the main thing," he said offhandedly. "So you may show me
to it at once."

"Very good, sir; this way if you please, sir," the footman replied, and
forthwith led him to the room in question.

It was one immediately adjoining that occupied by Lord St. Ulmer, but
unfortunately, having no connection with it, the wall which divided the
two was quite solid. Had there been a door---- But there was not. Cleek
saw at a glance that matters were not to be simplified in that way;
whoever might wish to see into that room must first _get_ into it: there
was no other way.

"All right, this will do; you may go," he said as soon as he was shown
to the place he had chosen; and taking him at his word, the footman
gently closed the door and disappeared. Cleek gave him but a minute or
two to get below stairs, then slipped out on tiptoe and followed,
getting out of the house unseen and running at all speed in the
direction of the stables.

At the angle of the wall he stopped suddenly, and began to whistle
"Kathleen Mavourneen." He hadn't rounded off the third bar before the
wall door clicked and swung open, and Dollops was beside him.

"Kit bag--quick!" whispered Cleek. "Need an evening suit, and the chap
who was going to lend me one went off and forgot all about it. Move
sharp, I'm in a hurry."

"Right ho!" said Dollops, and vanished like a blown-out light. In half a
minute's time he was back again, and the kit bag with him.

"Here you are, gov'ner. Shall I get out the evenin' clothes, and put the
bag back under the hedge, or will you take it with you?"

"I'll take it. There are other things I shall want. Where's Mr. Narkom?