's all hup, sir," said the butler. Only in moments of intense
excitement did Dumber misplace or leave out the aspirate. "You're to
come with me at once to Mr. Warde's study."

John followed the butler into the familiar room. Warde was not down
yet, but evidently Dumber had instructions not to leave the prisoner.
John stared at the writing-desk. Then he turned to Dumbleton, and said
carelessly--

"This means the sack, eh, Dumber?"

"Yes, sir. 'Ow could you do it, sir? Such a well-be'aved gentleman
too!"

"Thank you, Dumber." John took an envelope from the desk, and wrote
Scaife's name upon it.

"Dumber, please give Mr. Scaife this--with my compliments. It is, as
you see, a bill of fare."

"Very good, sir."

John placed the card into the envelope and handed both to Dumbleton.

"With my compliments!"

"Certainly, sir."

"And _after_ Chapel."

"Yes, sir."

A moment later Warde came in. Dumbleton went out immediately with a
sorrowful, backward glance at John. The good fellow looked terribly
bewildered. For John's face, John's deportment, had amazed him. John
was quite unaware of it, but he looked astonishingly well. Excitement
had flushed his cheek and lent a sparkle to his grey eyes. He had
enjoyed his ride to town and back; he had slept soundly under the lee
of a haystack; and he had washed his face and hands in the horse-trough
at the foot of Sudbury Hill. And the certainty that Desmond was safe,
that in the end he, John, had triumphed over Scaife, filled his soul
with joy. Warde, on the other hand, looked wretched; he had passed a
sleepless night; he was pale, haggard, gaunt.

"What have you to say, Verney?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Nothing." Warde clenched his hands, and burst into speech, letting
all that he had suffered and suppressed escape in tumultuous words and
gestures. "Nothing. You dare to stand there and say--nothing. That
you should have done this thing? Why, it's incredible! And I who
trusted you. And you listened to me with a face like brass, laughing
in your sleeve, no doubt, at the fool who betrayed himself. And you
came here, so my wife tells me, to see if I was out of the way, if the
coast was clear. And you were cool as a cucumber. Oh, you hypocrite,
you damnable hypocrite! I have to see you now, but never again will I
look willingly upon your face, never! Well, this wretched business
must be ended. You got out of my house last night. You heard I was
dining