I beg that you will understand," said his lordship, with a
calm that he was at some pains to maintain, "that you do not leave this
house save in the care of the messengers from the secretary of state."

Mr. Caryll looked at him, and yawned in his face. "Ye're prodigiously
tiresome," said he, "did ye but know how I detest disturbances. What
shall the secretary of state require of me?"

"He'll require you on a charge of high treason," said Mr. Green.

"Have you a warrant to take me?"

"I have not, but--"

"Then how do you dare detain me, sir?" demanded Mr. Caryll sharply.
"D'ye think I don't know the law?"

"I think you'll know a deal more of it shortly," countered Mr. Green.

"Meanwhile, sirs, I depart. Offer me violence at your peril." He moved a
step, and then, at a sign from Rotherby, the lackey's hands fell on him
again, and forced him back and down into his chair.

"Away with you for the warrant," said Rotherby to Green. "We'll keep him
here till you return."

Mr. Green grinned at the prisoner, and was gone in great haste.

Mr. Caryll lounged back in his chair, and threw one leg over the other.
"I have always endeavored," said he, "to suffer fools as gladly as a
Christian should. So since you insist, I'll be patient until I have the
ear of my Lord Carteret--who, I take it, is a man of sense. But if I
were you, my lord, and you, my lady, I should not insist. Believe me,
you'll cut poor figures. As for you, my lord, ye're in none such good
odor, as it is."

"Let that be," snarled his lordship.

"If I mention it at all, I but do so in your lordship's own interests.
It will be remembered that ye attempted to murder me once, and that will
not be of any great help to such accusations as you may bring against
me. Besides which, there is the unfortunate circumstance that it's
widely known ye're not a man to be believed."

"Will you be silent?" roared his lordship, in a towering passion.

"If I trouble myself to speak at all, it is out of concern for your
lordship," Mr. Caryll insisted sweetly. "And in your own interest,
and your ladyship's, too, I'd counsel you to hear me a moment without
witnesses."

His tone was calculatedly grave. Lord Rotherby looked at him, sneering;
not so her ladyship. Less acquainted with his ways, the absolute
confidence and unconcern of his demeanor was causing her uneasiness. A
man who was perilously entrammelled would not bear himself so easily,
she opined. She rose, and crosse