e looked
round savagely. "Where's me lorenets?" she added furiously.

Much as a victim-to-be might hand his dispatcher the knife, Anthony
plucked the eye-glasses from beneath a cushion and put them into her
hand.

His action took the wind out of her sails. Anthony saw this, and
hastened to press his advantage.

"I know it's unusual, madam, but I'm quite willing to leave at the end
of a week without wages, if you're not satisfied."

Mrs. Slumper grunted with astonishment.

"Wot wages joo ask?"

"Seventy-two pounds a year, madam, and--er--all found. And one
afternoon a week," he added boldly.

Mrs. Slumper blinked at him curiously.

"You don' look ser bad," she said grudgingly. "An' I'm sick an' tired
of tryin' for a footman, or I'd see yer further. 'Owever...." She
looked up sharply. "Will yer put that in writin' abaout the week?"

"Certainly, madam." And, with that, Lyveden stepped to a bureau and
wrote his undertaking upon a sheet of note-paper. He was about to
affix his signature, when it occurred to him that footmen do not write
at their mistresses' bureaus except privily or by invitation. He
flushed furiously. There was, however, no help for it now. The thing
was done. Desperately he signed his name. He handed the paper to the
lady humbly enough.

Mrs. Slumper sighed.

"In course," she said, "we 'ave things very well done. The butler's
aout naow, or I'd 'ave 'im up. But you'll 'ave ter wait, an' open the
door, an' clean the boots, an' come aout on the car. I've got some noo
livery--never bin worn yet--did ought ter fit you a treat. An'--'ow
soon kin yer come?" she demanded suddenly.

"To-morrow evening, madam."

"Or-right."

Anthony bowed himself out.

If the parlour-maid had not been on the landing, he would have leaned
against the wall and covered his face.

The girl glanced at the door he had just closed.

"Ain't she a little dream?"

Anthony grinned.

"Might be worse," he ventured, endeavouring to steer between the
respective sandbanks of disloyalty and odium. "I've got the place," he
added ingenuously.

The girl stared at him.

That Anthony did not appreciate why she had remained upon the landing
was to her incredible.

"I 'eard," she said loftily.

Anthony felt crushed.

At his suggestion she let him out of the front door.

"See yer to-morrow," she cried.

"That's right, miss."

Anthony passed down the steps and walked quickly away. Before he had
cove