I had expected that demand. "I gave them to Mr. Bray, sir," I answered glibly. "Did he not send them on to you? He said he would enclose them in his letter!" Sir William shook his head, and a bored look crept into his eyes. "I suppose they are all right," he muttered wearily. "I like your voice; it is soft. If you want to please me never raise it. My head aches very easily." "I shall remember, sir," I answered in my mildest accents. "When could you commence your duties?" "At once, sir." He raised his eyebrows, then nodded languidly. "Very well. I shall give you a trial. Your wages will be £5 a month and your keep. Butts, the footman, will show you to your room and explain my ways to you. I shall ring when I require you." "Thank you, sir." "By the way, Bray writes me that your name is Agar Hume. I dislike it. Once upon a time I had a friend named Hume. I shall call you Brown." "Very good, sir." I backed out of the room, and as I half expected found the footman in the passage. His air of defiant indifference informed me that he had been listening through the keyhole. He was an owlish looking creature, but there were garrulous wrinkles about his eyes and lips which determined me to treat him civilly. "Sir William has engaged me, Mr. Butts," I said in a low voice. "Will you be good enough to show me to my room. I am to start work at once." "You won't stay here long," he mumbled as he tip-toed off. "They never do." I had no intention of staying one day longer than I could help. But I did not confide the fact to Butts. As I followed him my one thought was to get my hands on food as soon as possible. I was desperately hungry. He took me upstairs to an attic room at the back of the house. It was small, but well lighted and clean, also it smelt of lavender. It contained a deal wardrobe with a full length mirror, a truckle bed, a dressing table and a wash stand. There was also a carpet on the floor. I felt pleased, but I was famished. "Here you hare!" growled Butts. I put down my make-up box, and faced him. "I should like to be friends with you, Mr. Butts," I said. "I dare say we shall be cast a good deal in each other's company. What do you say?" I offered him my hand. He grinned and took it. My apparent ingenuousness had melted him at once. He was not a bad hearted fellow, it seemed. "All right," he said. "What's yer name?" "Brown." "What did yer think of 'im," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "A book-worm, isn't he--but what do you say if we discuss him over a glass of beer and some bread and cheese?" "Good!" said Butts, and with an alacrity that delighted me, he led the way by the servants' staircase to the pantry on the ground floor. For beer, however, he gave me port wine, and for bread and cheese a cold partridge. "You seem to live well here," I commented with my mouth full.