r night here myself--no, not for anything that could be
offered me!'

Mrs. Norbury at once set her servant's mind at ease on this last point.

'I don't think about it as you do,' she said gravely. 'But I should
like to speak to my brother of what has happened. We will go back to
Milan.'

Some hours necessarily elapsed before they could leave the hotel, by
the first train in the forenoon.

In that interval, Mrs. Norbury's maid found an opportunity of
confidentially informing the valet of what had passed between her
mistress and herself. The valet had other friends to whom he related
the circumstances in his turn. In due course of time, the narrative,
passing from mouth to mouth, reached the ears of the manager. He
instantly saw that the credit of the hotel was in danger, unless
something was done to retrieve the character of the room numbered
Fourteen. English travellers, well acquainted with the peerage of
their native country, informed him that Henry Westwick and Mrs. Norbury
were by no means the only members of the Montbarry family. Curiosity
might bring more of them to the hotel, after hearing what had happened.
The manager's ingenuity easily hit on the obvious means of misleading
them, in this case. The numbers of all the rooms were enamelled in
blue, on white china plates, screwed to the doors. He ordered a new
plate to be prepared, bearing the number, '13 A'; and he kept the room
empty, after its tenant for the time being had gone away, until the
plate was ready. He then re-numbered the room; placing the removed
Number Fourteen on the door of his own room (on the second floor),
which, not being to let, had not previously been numbered at all. By
this device, Number Fourteen disappeared at once and for ever from the
books of the hotel, as the number of a bedroom to let.

Having warned the servants to beware of gossiping with travellers, on
the subject of the changed numbers, under penalty of being dismissed,
the manager composed his mind with the reflection that he had done his
duty to his employers. 'Now,' he thought to himself, with an excusable
sense of triumph, 'let the whole family come here if they like! The
hotel is a match for them.'

CHAPTER XVIII

Before the end of the week, the manager found himself in relations with
'the family' once more. A telegram from Milan announced that Mr.
Francis Westwick would arrive in Venice on the next day; and would be
obliged if Number Fourteen, on the f