“Hearing you speak, and seeing nobody else in the room,” went on the butler, “I thought for a moment that you were addressing me.” This was not true, and Roland knew it was not true. Instinct told him that Teal knew that he knew it was not true; but he did not press the point. “What do you mean--you think I am quite right?” he said. “You don't know what I was thinking about.” Teal smiled indulgently. “On the contrary, sir. A child could have guessed it. You have just come to the decision--in my opinion a thoroughly sensible one--that your engagement to her ladyship can not be allowed to go on. You are quite right, sir. It won't do.” Personal magnetism covers a multitude of sins. Roland was perfectly well aware that he ought not to be standing here chatting over his and Lady Eva's intimate affairs with a butler; but such was Teal's magnetism that he was quite unable to do the right thing and tell him to mind his own business. “Teal, you forget yourself!” would have covered the situation. Roland, however, was physically incapable of saying “Teal, you forget yourself!” The bird knows all the time that he ought not to stand talking to the snake, but he is incapable of ending the conversation. Roland was conscious of a momentary wish that he was the sort of man who could tell butlers that they forgot themselves. But then that sort of man would never be in this sort of trouble. The “Teal, you forget yourself” type of man would be a first-class shot, a plus golfer, and would certainly consider himself extremely lucky to be engaged to Lady Eva. “The question is,” went on Mr. Teal, “how are we to break it off?” Roland felt that, as he had sinned against all the decencies in allowing the butler to discuss his affairs with him, he might just as well go the whole hog and allow the discussion to run its course. And it was an undeniable relief to talk about the infernal thing to some one. He nodded gloomily, and committed himself. Teal resumed his remarks with the gusto of a fellow-conspirator. “It's not an easy thing to do gracefully, sir, believe me, it isn't. And it's got to be done gracefully, or not at all. You can't go to her ladyship and say 'It's all off, and so am I,' and catch the next train for London. The rupture must be of her ladyship's making. If some fact, some disgraceful information concerning you were to come to her ladyship's ears, that would be a simple way out of the difficulty.” He eyed Roland meditatively. “If, for instance, you had ever been in jail, sir?” “Well, I haven't.” “No offense intended, sir, I'm sure. I merely remembered that you had made a great deal of money very quickly. My experience of gentlemen who have made a great deal of money very quickly is that they have generally done their bit of time. But, of course, if you----. Let me think. Do you drink, sir?” “No.” Mr. Teal sighed. Roland could not help feeling that he was disappointing the old man a good deal.