don't mind, sir, if he sits down here?" he asked. "He usually sits
here at this table because then he can see if he is needed over at the
house."

"Oh, please let him come here. He has prior rights to this table
undoubtedly," said the stranger politely. The old butler sat down
with an embarrassed murmur, as the voluble landlord explained that the
stranger had no objection. Then the boniface hurried off to attend to
some newly entered customers and the detective, greatly pleased at the
prospect, found himself alone with the old servant.

"You come here frequently?" he began, to open the conversation.

"Yes, sir, since my master and myself have settled down here--we
travelled most of the time until several years ago--I find this place
very convenient. It's a cosy little room, the wine is good and not
expensive, I'm near home and yet I can see some new faces occasionally."

"I hope the faces that you see about you at home are not so unpleasant
that you are glad to get away from them?" asked Muller with a smile.

The old man gave a start of alarm. "Oh, dear, no, sir," he exclaimed
eagerly; "that wasn't what I meant. Indeed I'm fond of everybody in the
house from our dear lady down to the poor little dog."

Here Muller gained another little bit of knowledge, the fact that the
lady of the house was the favourite of her servants, or that she seemed
to them even more an object of adoration than the master.

"Then you evidently have a very good place, since you seem so fond of
every one."

"Indeed I have a good place, sir."

"You've had this place a long time?"

"More than twenty years. My master was only eleven years old when I took
service with the family."

"Ah, indeed! then you must be a person of importance in the house if you
have been there so long?"

"Well more or less I might say I am," the old man smiled and looked
flattered, then added: "But the housekeeper, Mrs. Bernaner, is even more
important than I am, to tell you the truth. She was nurse to our present
young master, and she's been in the house ever since. When his
parents died, it's some years ago now, she took entire charge of the
housekeeping. She was a fine active woman then, and now the young master
and mistress couldn't get along without her. They treat her as if she
was one of the family."

"And she is ill also? I say also," explained Muller, "because the
landlord has just been telling me that your mistress is ill."

"Yes, indeed, more's t