custom of the Westmorland's guests, but
when it was brought at length, the ferret-man had not yet arrived.

"Oh, dear, what shall I do if he doesn't come?" Clodagh asked herself,
thinking fearfully about the chauffeur--and about Sister Lake.

Just then the face of the ferret man appeared at the door. He glanced
about, fixed the girl with his red-rimmed eyes, slouched into the room,
and limped briskly to the table.

"Hello!" he exclaimed, with a familiar grin, and pulled out a chair to
sit opposite Clo. He kept on his hat. His breath reeked spirits, and the
girl was disgusted, but she was the faithful servant of Mrs. Sands, and
the waiter was staring.

"Here's the parcel Mrs. Sands sent. She particularly wanted me to get
back as soon as possible."

The long envelope, with the gold seals uppermost, was lying on the
table. Clo removed a napkin she had laid over it, and pushed the parcel
across the table. As she did this she rose.

"Looks right enough!" remarked the ferret man, sitting still. "This
is what she told me to expect: long white envelope, three gold
seals----" He picked the parcel up, holding it to his sharp nose and
near-sighted eyes. "Yeh, munergram, or what yuh call it, right, too."

"Then that's all," said Clo, Beverley's dollar bill in her hand. "I'll
call the waiter----"

"Don't be too previous, cutie, _if_ you please!" and a not immaculate
hand helped itself to a fold of her dress. "Yuh an' me ain't workin'
this show on our own. You're for Mrs. Sands, I'm fur--well, I'm fur
someone I guess is even more particular than her. It's as much as my
job's worth to let yuh make your get-away till I've had a squint inside
this yere envelup."

"Mrs. Sands didn't tell me there was anything to wait for after I'd put
it in your hands," Clo objected. "I don't see----"

"It's me that's got to see. Now yuh keep yer hair on, gurlie, while I
lamp this thing. No good tryin' the sneak game, because I'd be on to yuh
like a thousand o' brick before yuh'd took a step----"

"I've no intention of running away," Clo assured him, with a dignity
copied from her idol. "Mrs. Sands has nothing to hide."

The man chuckled, as with a knife taken from the table he opened the
envelope without breaking the seals. He did this slowly. Clo sat down
again.

The ugly hands drew out from the envelope another smaller envelope.
There were no seals on it, but the flap was stuck with gum. The man
swore under his breath as he used the k