ty of careless ease, 'I
thought Hamilton was here. This is his room, ain't it?'

'Yes, certainly, this is his room; he has just gone to look up the
Dictator.'

'Has he gone to waken him up?' Rivers asked, with a shade of alarm
passing over him. For Rivers had been meditating during the last two
hours over his suppressed, telegram, and thinking what a fix he should
have got himself into if any danger really were to threaten the Dictator
and it became known that he, the private secretary of Sir Rupert
Langley, had in Sir Rupert's own house deliberately suppressed the
warning sent to him from the Foreign Office--a warning sent for the
protection of the man who was then Sir Rupert's guest. If anything were
to happen, diplomacy would certainly never further avail itself of the
services of Soame Rivers. Nor would Helena Langley be likely to turn a
favourable eye on Soame Rivers. So, after much consideration, Rivers
thought his best course was to get at Hamilton and let him know of the
warning. Of course he need not exactly say when he had received it, and
Hamilton was such a fool that he could easily be put off, and in any
case the whole thing was probably some absurd scare; but still Rivers
wanted to be out of all responsibility, and was already cursing the
sudden impulse that made him crumple up the telegram and keep it back.
Now, he could not tell why, his mind misgave him when he found Sarrasin
coming into Hamilton's room and heard that Hamilton had gone to arouse
the Dictator.

'We have thought it necessary to waken his Excellency' Sarrasin said
emphatically; and he did not fail to notice the look of alarm that came
over Rivers's face. 'Something wrong here,' Sarrasin thought.

'You don't really suppose there is any danger; isn't it all alarmist
nonsense, don't you think?'

'I hadn't said anything about danger, Mr. Rivers.'

'No. But the truth is, I wanted to see Hamilton about a private message
I got from the Foreign Office, telling me to advise him to look after
the--the--the ex-Dictator--that there was some plot against him; and I'm
sure it's all rubbish--people don't _do_ these things in England, don't
you know?--but I thought I would come round and tell Hamilton all the
same.'

'Hamilton will be here in a moment or two with his Excellency. Hadn't
you better wait and see them?'

'Oh--thanks--no--it will do as well if you will kindly give my message.'

'May I ask what time you got your message?'

'Oh--a l