ould I see Mr. Fay?" asked Hampstead.

"Business?" suggested Tribbledale.

"Not exactly. That is to say, my business is private."

Then there appeared a face looking at him over a screen about five
feet and a-half high, which divided off from the small apartment a
much smaller apartment, having, as Hampstead now regarded it, the
appearance of a cage. In this cage, small as it was, there was a
desk, and there were two chairs; and here Zachary Fay carried on
the business of his life, and transacted most of those affairs
appertaining to Messrs. Pogson and Littlebird which could be
performed in an office. Messrs. Pogson and Littlebird themselves,
though they had a room of their own, to which that door marked
"Private" belonged, were generally supposed to be walking on 'Change
as British merchants should do, or making purchases of whole ships'
cargos in the Docks, or discounting bills, the least of which would
probably represent L10,000. The face which looked over the barrier of
the cage at Lord Hampstead was of course that of Zachary Fay. "Lord
Hampstead!" he said, with surprise.

"Oh, Mr. Fay, how do you do? I have something I want to say to you.
Could you spare me five minutes?"

The Quaker opened the door of the cage and asked Lord Hampstead to
walk in. Tribbledale, who had heard and recognized the name, stared
hard at the young nobleman,--at his friend Crocker's noble friend, at
the lord of whom it had been asserted positively that he was engaged
to marry Mr. Fay's daughter. The boy, too, having heard that the
visitor was a lord, stared also. Hampstead did as he was bid, but
remembering that the inhabitant of the cage had at once heard what
had been said in the office, felt that it would be impossible for him
to carry on his conversation about Marion without other protection
from the ears of the world. "It is a little private what I have to
say," remarked Hampstead.

The Quaker looked towards the private room. "Old Mr. Pogson is
there," whispered Tribbledale. "I heard him come in a quarter of an
hour ago."

"Perhaps thou wouldst not mind walking up and down the yard," said
the Quaker. Hampstead of course walked out, but on looking about
him found that the court was very small for the communication which
he had to make. Space would be required, so that he might not be
troubled by turning when he was in the midst of his eloquence.
Half-a-dozen steps would carry him the whole length of King's Court;
and who could