angle an old letter written
by his master to himself from the groom, Dollops, whistling
vociferously, came spinning back again to Aygon Castle to present his
find to Cleek, and receive the reward in Cleek's instantly spoken
pleasure.

But to see Cleek was a different matter altogether. He had been told to
"lie low" where Lady Paula was concerned, and not poke his nose in
anything within reach of her ladyship's sharp eye. And as he did not
possess Cleek's marvellous birthright by which he was able to alter his
countenance in the space of a second, and become to all intents and
purposes another man, Dollops was certainly "floored."

"Better try rahnd the servants' quarters, an' see what I kin see there,"
he decided after a brief survey of the land from an adjacent laurel bush
which immediately faced the Castle. "The Gov'nor'll be ready ter split
my nob open if I ups and goes inter the plyce by the front door, bless
'is 'eart! And it's shorely the back door for the likes o' _you_,
Dollops me lad! So here goes!"

So to the servants' quarters went Dollops forthwith, and scraped
acquaintance with Jarvis, the butler, by offering him an impossible
cigar, and asking off-handedly for Mr. Deland in the meanwhile.

"Dunno where 'e is at the moment," replied Jarvis, with a wink and a
smile. "Seen 'im talkin' to the lydies only a few moments back, in the
drorin' room. But since then.... Lunnon chap, ain't yer?"

"Yus!" Dollops's voice rang with pride of birthplace. He threw back his
narrow chest and stuck his fingers in his waistcoat and surveyed his
interlocutor with upthrown chin.

"Well, so'm I. Come dahn with the family last January from their Lunnon
'ouse. Park Mansion, it's called. Big plyce in Eton Square. Know those
parts, I'll lay."

"Every inch of 'em," vociferated Dollops with emphasis. "Luvly plyce,
ain't it? They tells me yer got a ghost in this 'ouse, and blimey! I'm
that frightened ter meet 'er, me backbone's almost come rahnd ter me
front. 'Ugs the gentlemen at night, don't she?"

Jarvis threw back his head and let his hearty laugh ring out over the
rafters of the servants' hall.

"Wouldn't 'ug _you_, young 'un, not for nothing--if it were light enough
ter see yer face by," he retorted with heavy wit. "But it's truth. And
the wimmenfolk is that nervous at night there's no managing with 'em
nohow. Some sprightly feller in a by-gone century went and man-'andled a
girl from these parts an' carried 'er 'ere by