n
he knows my business."

The servant being only impressed with this threat, went off at once to
obey the insidious tiger, who of course was not in livery.

Barely had the consul's servant disappeared, when the messenger from
the prison entered.

Chivey recognised him instantly.

"_Une lettre pour Monsieur le Consul_," said the messenger.

Chivey held out his hand, and the man, taking it for granted that
Chivey belonged to the consular establishment, gave it to him.

"_Il y a une reponse_--there is an answer," said the messenger.

"It will be forwarded," returned Chivey, with cool presence of mind.

"I ought to take it with me," said the messenger.

"I can't disturb his excellency now," replied the tiger; "those are my
master's express orders, which I can't presume to disobey. He will send
the answer on immediately it is ready."

The man paused.

"The consul was expecting this letter," said Chivey, moving towards the
door, "and he told me particularly that he would send the answer on."

"_Puisqu'il est ainsi_," said the man, dubiously. "Since it must be so,
I suppose I had better leave the letter."

"Of course you had," returned Chivey, closing the door. "I daresay you
will get the answer within an hour."

At that very moment the servant returned with a message from the consul
to the effect that in half an hour he could be seen, if the applicant
would call again.

"Very good," said Chivey, in the same patronising manner, "you may tell
your master that I will look back later on."

"Very well, sir."

Chivey walked out, chuckling inwardly at the success of his mission.

"What could be easier?" said the Cockney scamp to himself; "shelling
peas is a fool to it."

But before he could get fairly over the threshold, the servant stopped
him with a question that startled him a little, and well-nigh made him
lose his presence of mind.

"The man who called just now, sir, he left a letter."

"Eh? Oh, yes!"

"For you, sir?"

"Yes," added Chivey with the coolest effrontery. "My servant knew that
I had come on here; thinking to be detained some time with his
excellency the consul, I left word at my hotel where I was coming, and
he followed me here with a letter."

"Oh, I see, sir," returned the servant, obsequiously, "quite so, sir,
beg pardon, sir."

"Not at all, my good man, not at all," returned Chivey, superciliously;
"you are a very civil, well-spoken young man--here is a trifle for
you."

He pa