Mr. Josiah, in anxious squeaks, wanted to know what all this _meant_; hey? He was all upset; he didn't know as he could match his silks, this kind of thing going on; his hand fairly shook. They claimed Ruby Caddie had taken to her bed: was that so? "It is so!" Miss Almeria inclined her head gravely. "Ruby is quite prostrated. My sister is with her, Pearl, of course, being unable to leave the Bank. It is very unfortunate, Mr. Jebus. The sanctity of the Office has been violated, you see, and Ruby feels it keenly. It was not in any way her fault: an unpardonable indiscretion----" "What I say is," Mr. Mallow broke in,--"excuse me for interruptin', Miss Bygood; what I say is, that woman ought to be taken and _ducked_, sir! ducked in the hoss-pond for a common cormorant! She is a dirigo, that's what she is! a dirigo, sir!" (Mr. Mallow meant termagant and virago, but it did not matter; everybody understood.) "Doubtless! doubtless!" Mr. Jordano waved his note-book anxiously. "Most ill-judged! most unfortunate-tate-tate! But as to the--if I may borrow a legal expression, the _corpus delicti_; as to the alleged message itself. Is that, does Miss Bygood consider, correctly reported? No indiscreeto, I beg to assure you! But if it _has_ been made public--there seem to be two reports current, which in a measure conflict-tict-tict. Is it permissible to ask which is the correct--a--version?" Miss Almeria pondered a moment, conscious that all eyes were fixed eagerly upon her. "As the message _has_ been made public," she said at last, "though feloniously so, feloniously so, I must consider----" she bowed to a general murmur of assent from the company--"it is perhaps best to be sure that it is correctly given. The words of the message were these: '_Coming; coach and six: Duke_.' So much our friend, Miss Caddie, admits. As to the precise meaning of the message, she declines to express an opinion; very properly, in my judgment." "Oh, quite so! quite so!" murmured Mr. Jordano. "Very discreeto, I am sure. Hers not to reason why, hers but to do and--which we sincerely hope that estimable lady will refrain from--" Mr. Jordano became involved, and flourished the note-book nervously. "Question is, what in hemp does it _mean_?" broke in Mr. Mallow again. "I beg you'll excuse me, Miss Bygood; that darned tattle-tale has got me all worked up; but I want to get to the bottom of this. Does it mean that the feller is _comin_' that way, drivin' six hosses--three pair, that would be, I presume--he wouldn't drive that number tantrum, most likely--because if it does, I'd have to get extry help, you see, Miss Almery. Or would he bring his own help with him, think? A Dook is next to a king, isn't he? Did you ever see a Dook, Mr. Bygood?"