r, and found the chambermaid beside him.

"Mind you put them numbers back right," she whispered, "or I shan't
know t'other from which."

Bindle turned and eyed her gravely.

"My dear," he remonstrated, "I'm a married man, and if Mrs. Bindle was
to see you wi' yer arm round me neck--wot!"

The pretty chambermaid had soundly boxed his ears.

"A girl would have to have tired arms to rest them round _your_ neck,"
she whispered, and tripped off down the corridor.

For some minutes Bindle worked mechanically. His mind was busy with
the chambermaid's remark. At the end of half an hour all the numbers
were removed and the painters busy on the doors. Bindle returned to
the Office of Works.

"'Oly angels," he muttered joyously, as he attacked the bread and
cheese and pickles, and poured out a glass of beer. "'Oly angels, if I
was to forget, and get them numbers mixed, an' them bunnies wasn't able
to get back to their 'utches!"

He put down his glass, choking. When he had recovered his breath, he
wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, finished his meal, and
returned to the corridor.

It was the rule of the hotel that no workmen should be seen about after
seven-thirty. Just before that hour Bindle had completed his work of
replacing the numbers on the doors, and had removed from the corridor
the last traces of the work that had been in progress. He returned to
the Office of Works which commanded a view of the whole length of the
East Corridor. He was careful to leave the door ajar so that he had an
uninterrupted view. He sat down and proceeded to enjoy the morning
paper which the "Boots" had brought him, the second bottle of the
foreman's beer, and the remains of the bread and cheese.

"Shouldn't be surprised if things was to 'appen soon," he murmured, as
he rose and carefully folded the newspaper.

CHAPTER VI

THE HOTEL CORRIDOR

I

As Bindle watched, a face peeped cautiously round the door of one of
the bedrooms. It was a nervous, ascetic face, crowned by a mass of
iron-grey hair that swept from left to right, and seemed to be held
back from obliterating the weak but kindly blue eyes only by the
determination of the right eyebrow.

The face looked nervously to the right and to the left, and then, as if
assured that no one was about, it was followed by a body clothed in
carpet slippers, clerical trousers and coat, with a towel hanging over
its shoulders.

"Parson," muttered Bindle, as the