but he'd
be feeling it mortal keen if he was after getting pulled down from
his berth."

"What d'ye mean?" asked all four at once.

"Leave that to myself," said Thurstan, "and maybe since I set foot
ashore I've heard tell of schames that's going."

IV.

Greeba sat in her room, trying to cheat time of its weary hours by
virtue of much questioning of her little English maid, who from time
to time brought news of Michael Sunlocks. He had risen very early, as
early as mid-morning (six o'clock), and ever since then he had been
writing in his office. Oscar had been running here and there for him,
first to the Senate, then to the Speaker's, and then to the Bishop's.
The tall doorkeeper, stammering Jon, had seen him, being sent for,
and the feckless busybody had told him ever such needless stories of
the jellies and the soups and the mistress's visit to the poor man in
the prison, and however people got wind of things was just puzzling
beyond words.

With such cackle and poor company Greeba passed her time, thinking no
ill of the pert little maid who dressed up her hair and dressed down
her pride as well, for a woman will have any confidante rather than
none, and the sweetest and best of women, being estranged from her
husband, her true stay and support, will lay hold of the very
sorriest staff to lean on. And the strange twist of little natures,
that made Oscar perky while his master was melancholy, made the maid
jubilant while her mistress wept. She was a dark-haired mite with
eyes of the shallow brightness of burnished steel. Her name was
Elizabeth. She meant no harm to anyone.

Towards noon the little woman burst into the room with great
eagerness, and cried, in a hushed whisper, "The Speaker has come. I
am sure that something is going to happen; Oscar says so, too. What
is it? What can it be?"

Greeba listened, and carried herself bravely while the maid was near,
but when the door had closed upon the chatterer she leaned against
the window and cried, hearing nothing but her own weeping and the
grief of the half-frozen river that flowed beneath. Then, drying her
eyes and summoning what remained of her pride, she left her own room
to go to the room of her husband.

V.

In his little silk skullcap and spectacles the Lagmann came back, for
he was Judge and Speaker in one, and found Michael Sunlocks alone. At
a glance he saw that the trouble of the night before had deepened,
and that something of great moment