g to me."

"Then for goodness' sake, Godfrey, let the man alone."

"I don't like the way he's going on."

"You never did. There's nothing fresh about that. You've complained
about him regularly every week for five years."

This was an exaggeration. I am sometimes away from home for more than
a week at a time and Godfrey does not always complain about Crossan in
his letters.

"Look here, Excellency," said Godfrey, "it's far better for you to
know what Crossan's doing. He's going about all over the country day
after day. He's got a motor car."

I can quite understand that Crossan's owning a motor car must have a
very irritating effect on Godfrey. I cannot afford to keep one. That
any one else in the district over which I ought, according to
Godfrey's theory, to be a kind of king, should assume a grandeur
impossible for me is simply an aggravated kind of insolence. No wonder
that Godfrey, with the honour of the family at heart, resented
Crossan's motor car. I tried to soothe him.

"It's probably quite an inferior machine," I said. "It will break down
soon."

"It's not only that," said Godfrey, "though I think Crossan ought to
stay at home and mind his business. He must be neglecting things.
But--I wish you'd walk up to the store with me, Excellency. Crossan's
away."

"I'd much rather go when Crossan's at home," I said; "but, of course,
if you won't leave me in peace until I do, I may as well go at once."

I got my hat and walking stick. On the way up to the store Godfrey
preserved an air of mysterious importance. I had no objection whatever
to his doing this; because he could not talk and look mysterious at
the same time, and I particularly dislike being talked to by Godfrey.
I expect he tried to be dignified with a view to impressing me, but
just before we reached the store he broke down and babbled fatuously.

"Marion told me yesterday," he said, "that she'd had a letter from
that fellow Power."

"She told me that too," I said.

"Well, I think you ought to put a stop to it. It's not right."

"My dear Godfrey," I said, "you appear to forget that he's one of the
Powers of Kilfenora and private secretary to a millionaire."

This twofold appeal to the highest and strongest feelings which
Godfrey possesses ought to have silenced him. He did, I think, feel
the force of what I said. But he was not satisfied.

"If you knew all that was going on," he said, "you wouldn't like it."

We reached the store. The y