be thanked!"

Before the messengers came, it was the end of the week. Lazarus had
packed their few belongings, and on Saturday Mrs. Beedle was to be seen
hovering at the top of the cellar steps, when Marco and The Rat left
the back sitting-room to go out.

"You needn't glare at me!" she said to Lazarus, who stood glowering at
the door which he had opened for them. "Young Master Loristan, I want
to know if you've heard when your father is coming back?"

"He will not come back," said Marco.

"He won't, won't he? Well, how about next week's rent?" said Mrs.
Beedle. "Your man's been packing up, I notice. He's not got much to
carry away, but it won't pass through that front door until I've got
what's owing me. People that can pack easy think they can get away
easy, and they'll bear watching. The week's up to-day."

Lazarus wheeled and faced her with a furious gesture. "Get back to
your cellar, woman," he commanded. "Get back under ground and stay
there. Look at what is stopping before your miserable gate."

A carriage was stopping--a very perfect carriage of dark brown. The
coachman and footman wore dark brown and gold liveries, and the footman
had leaped down and opened the door with respectful alacrity. "They
are friends of the Master's come to pay their respects to his son,"
said Lazarus. "Are their eyes to be offended by the sight of you?"

"Your money is safe," said Marco. "You had better leave us."

Mrs. Beedle gave a sharp glance at the two gentlemen who had entered
the broken gate. They were of an order which did not belong to
Philibert Place. They looked as if the carriage and the dark brown and
gold liveries were every-day affairs to them.

"At all events, they're two grown men, and not two boys without a
penny," she said. "If they're your father's friends, they'll tell me
whether my rent's safe or not."

The two visitors were upon the threshold. They were both men of a
certain self-contained dignity of type; and when Lazarus opened wide
the door, they stepped into the shabby entrance hall as if they did not
see it. They looked past its dinginess, and past Lazarus, and The Rat,
and Mrs. Beedle--THROUGH them, as it were,--at Marco.

He advanced towards them at once.

"You come from my father!" he said, and gave his hand first to the
elder man, then to the younger.

"Yes, we come from your father. I am Baron Rastka--and this is the
Count Vorversk," said the elder man, bowing.

"I