e somber determination of his lordship's face melted into a
twisted, but kindly smile.

"Good!" he said, perhaps a trifle thickly. "Good! Glad you've come.
We're pals. You said so--on stairs--b'fore dinner. Very glad you've
come. Won't you sit down?"

He waved the drawer benevolently, by way of making her free of the
room. The movement disturbed one of the bank-notes, which fluttered
in Molly's direction, and fell at her feet.

She stooped and picked it up. When she saw what it was, her
bewilderment increased.

"But--but--" she said.

His lordship beamed--upon her with a pebble-beached smile of
indescribable good-will.

"Sit down," he urged. "We're pals.--No quol with you. You're good
friend. Quol--Uncle Thomas."

"But, Lord Dreever, what are you doing? What was that noise I
heard?"

"Opening drawer," said his lordship, affably.

"But--" she looked again at what she had in her hand--"but this is a
five-pound note."

"Five-pound note," said his lordship. "Quite right. Three more of
them in here."

Still, she could not understand.

"But--were you--stealing them?"

His lordship drew himself up.

"No," he said, "no, not stealing, no!"

"Then--?"

"Like this. Before dinner. Old boy friendly as you please--couldn't
do enough for me. Touched him for twenty of the best, and got away
with it. So far, all well. Then, met you on stairs. You let cat out
of bag."

"But why--? Surely--!"

His lordship gave the drawer a dignified wave.

"Not blaming you," he said, magnanimously. "Not your fault;
misfortune. You didn't know. About letter."

"About the letter?" said Molly. "Yes, what was the trouble about the
letter? I knew something was wrong directly I had said that I wrote
it."

"Trouble was," said his lordship, "that old boy thought it was
love-letter. Didn't undeceive him."

"You didn't tell him? Why?"

His lordship raised his eyebrows.

"Wanted touch him twenty of the best," he explained, simply.

For the life of her, Molly could not help laughing.

"Don't laugh," protested his lordship, wounded. "No joke. Serious.
Honor at stake."

He removed the three notes, and replaced the drawer.

"Honor of the Dreevers!" he added, pocketing the money.

Molly was horrified.

"But, Lord Dreever!" she cried. "You can't! You mustn't! You can't be
going, really, to take that money! It's stealing! It isn't yours!
You must put it back."

His lordship wagged a forefinger very solemnly at her.

"That,"