"Couldn't have been better, to my thinking. I know the Honourable Felix quite well: a steady-going, upright, honourable young fellow (he isn't over two or three-and-thirty), who, being a second son, naturally inherited his mother's fortune, and that being considerable, he really did not need the income from his little nephew's in the slightest degree. However, he undertook the charge willingly, for he is much attached to the boy; and he and his wife--to whom he was but recently married, by the way--entered into residence at his late brother's splendid property, Boskydell Priory, just over on the other side of those hills--you can see from the window, there--where they are at present entertaining a large house party, among whom are Lady Essington and her son Claude." "Oho! Then her ladyship has a son, has she? The daughter who died was not her only child?" "No. The son was born about a year after the daughter. A nice lad--bright, clever, engaging; fond of all sorts of dumb animals--birds, monkeys, white mice--all manner of such things--and as tender-hearted as a girl. Wouldn't hurt a fly. Carruthers is immensely fond of him and has him at the Priory whenever he can. That, of course, means having the mother, too, which is a bit of a trial, in a way, for I don't believe that her ladyship and Mrs. Carruthers care very much for each other. But that's another story. Now, then, let's see--where was I? Oh, ah! about the house party at the Priory and Carruthers' fondness for the boy. You can judge of my surprise, my dear Cleek, when last night's post brought me a private letter from Lady Essington asking me to meet her here at this inn--which, by the way, belongs to the Strathmere estate and is run by a former servant at the Priory--and stating that she wished me to bring one of the shrewdest and cleverest of my detectives, as she was quite convinced there was an underhand scheme afoot to injure his little lordship--in short, she had every reason to believe that somebody was secretly attacking the life of the Golden Boy. She then went on to give me details of a most extraordinary and bewildering nature." "Indeed? What were those details, Mr. Narkom?" "Let her tell you for herself--here she is!" replied the superintendent, as a veiled and cloaked figure moved hurriedly past the window; and he and Cleek had barely more than pushed back their chairs and risen when that figure entered the room.