not
familiar to me. I appeared to notice nothing, but beat off the mud from
my boots.

"Mr. Mallock," said Mr. Sheppard, "they are not yet all come; and two or
three who are here have a little private business on another matter
first. Will you wait a little in another room?"

I assented immediately; and he took me through the hall into another
little parlour behind that in which the company was assembled.

"It will not be more than ten minutes," he said. "I will come for you
myself when they are done."

When he was gone again I observed the room. It had but one window, which
was shuttered; but it had two doors--the one by which I was come in, and
another, beyond the hearth, leading to the great parlour. This door was
closed.

Now it was of the greatest importance that I should hear what was
passing in the next room. I should learn more in five words spoken there
then, than in five hours when they were playing a part to me; and I had
no scruple whatever, considering what they were at, and how they were
using me, in learning by any means that were in my power what I wished
to know. Even from where I stood I could hear the murmur of talk; and it
was probable, it seemed to me, that if I laid my ear on the panel of the
door I should hear every word of it. But first I pulled out a chair and
set it by the table, with my hat and cane beside it. Then I went to the
door into the hall, which opened, fortunately, with its hinge nearer to
the hearth--(so that a man entering would not see immediately into that
part of the room in which I should be)--and beneath the door I slipped a
little sliver of wood from the wood-basket by the hearth, so that the
door would stick a little. Having done that I went on tip-toe to the
other door and put my ear to the panel. But I feared they would not say
anything very significant, with me so close.

Now it was a little while before I could distinguish which voice
belonged to what man. I got the Duke's at once; there was a lordly kind
of ring in it that could never be forgotten; and I got presently my Lord
Grey's voice; and then one with a drawl in it which I had never heard
before; and then one that had no special characteristic, but was a
little slow. These were the four whom I heard speak, besides Mr.
Sheppard once. The conversation I heard was somewhat as follows. I set
it all down on my way home.

The Duke said: "I am very pleased indeed that you are come after all, my
Lord. We understa