brutes have been sneaking round the place."

Mrs. Belgrove shrieked. "Oh, how lucky I occupy a bedroom on the third
floor. Just like a little bird in its tiny-weeny nest. They can't get at
me there, can they, Lord Garvington?"

"They don't want you," observed Miss Greeby in her deep voice. "It's
your diamonds they'd like to get."

"Oh!" Mrs. Belgrove shrieked again. "Lock my diamonds up in your strong
room, Lord Garvington. Do! do! do! To please poor little me," and she
effusively clasped her lean hands, upon which many of the said diamonds
glittered.

"I don't think there is likely to be any trouble with these poor
gypsies, Mrs. Belgrove," remarked Lady Agnes negligently. "Hubert has
told me a great deal about them, and they are really not so bad as
people make out."

"Your husband can't know anything of such ragtags," said Miss Greeby,
looking at the beautiful, pale face, and wondering if she really had any
suspicion that Pine was one of the crew she mentioned.

"Oh, but Hubert does," answered Lady Agnes innocently. "He has met many
of them when he has been out helping people. You have no idea, any of
you, how good Hubert is," she added, addressing the company generally.
"He walks on the Embankment sometimes on winter nights and gives the
poor creatures money. And in the country I have often seen him stop to
hand a shilling to some tramp in the lanes."

"A gypsy for choice," growled Miss Greeby, marvelling that Lady Agnes
could not see the resemblance between the tramps' faces and that of her
own husband. "However, I hope Pine's darlings won't come here to rob.
I'll fight for my jewels, I can promise you."

One of the men laughed. "I shouldn't like to get a blow from your fist."

Miss Greeby smiled grimly, and looked at his puny stature. "Women have
to protect themselves from men like you," she said, amidst great
laughter, for the physical difference between her and the man was quite
amusing.

"It's all very well talking," said Garvington crossly. "But I don't
trust these gypsies."

"Why don't you clear them off your land then?" asked Silver daringly.

Garvington glared until his gooseberry eyes nearly fell out of his red
face. "I'll clear everyone to bed, that's what I'll do," he retorted,
crossing the room to the middle French window of the drawing-room. "I
wish you fellows would stop your larking out there," he cried. "It's
close upon midnight, and all decent people should be in bed."

"Since when