ou!" roared Crispin, with a fine assumption of anger. "Assist
you take a man? Sink me, sir, I would have you know I am a soldier, not
a tipstaff!"

The ensign's cheeks grew crimson under the sting of that veiled insult.

"There are some, Sir Crispin, that have yet another name for you."

"Like enough--when I am not by," sneered Crispin. "The world is full of
foul tongues in craven heads. But, sirs, the night air is chill and you
are come inopportunely, for, as you'll perceive, I was at play. Haply
you'll suffer me to close the door."

"A moment, Sir Crispin. We must search this house. He is believed to
have come this way."

Crispin yawned. "I will spare you the trouble. You may take it from me
that he could not be here without my knowledge. I have been in this room
these two hours past."

"Twill not suffice," returned the officer doggedly. "We must satisfy
ourselves."

"Satisfy yourselves?" echoed the other, in tones of deep amazement.
"What better satisfaction can I afford you than my word? 'Swounds, sir
jackanapes," he added, in a roar that sent the lieutenant back a pace
as though he had been struck, "am I to take it that your errand is a
trumped-up business to affront me? First you invite me to turn tipstaff,
then you add your cursed innuendoes of what people say of me, and now
you end by doubting me! You must satisfy yourself!" he thundered, waxing
fiercer at every word. "Linger another moment on that threshold, and
d----n me, sir, I'll give you satisfaction of another flavour! Be off!"

Before that hurricane of passion the ensign recoiled, despite himself.

"I will appeal to General Montgomery," he threatened.

"Appeal to the devil! Had you come hither with your errand in a seemly
fashion you had found my door thrown wide in welcome, and I had received
you courteously. As it is, sir, the cause for complaint is on my side,
and complain I will. We shall see whether the King permits an old
soldier who has followed the fortunes of his family these eighteen years
to be flouted by a malapert bantam of yesterday's brood!"

The subaltern paused in dismay. Some demur there was in the gathered
crowd. Then the officer fell back a pace, and consulted an elderly
trooper at his elbow. The trooper was of opinion that the fugitive must
have gone farther. Moreover, he could not think, from what Sir Crispin
had said, that it would have been possible for Hogan to have entered the
house. With this, and realizing that much