"Please, m'lord," said Henry, the snub-nosed little foot page, florid with buttons, and fat from stolen sweets, "I see a man playing the organ outside to-night." "So you did yesterday, and the day before." "Yes, m'lord," said the boy, eagerly; "and I heard somebody go out." "Did you?" said Tom, politely. "Now, look here, my boy! If you dare to open that mouth of yours and get chattering to people this monstrous piece of nonsense, I'll--I'll, hang me, I'll cut your ears off." The boy ducked and held one arm up, as if he expected to be attacked at once, and ended by taking refuge behind his best friend and greatest enemy--to wit, the cook. "Speak, some of you, will you?" cried Tom. "Did any one see my sister go out?" "If you please, my lord," said the housemaid, "if I may make so bold--" "Yes," said Tom, with sarcastic politeness, "you may make so bold. Now go on." "Well, I'm sure," muttered the woman. "Well, my lord, I was going upstairs to-night, and I heard my young mistress sobbing bitterly in her room." "Well," said Tom, "and you stopped to listen." "Which I wouldn't bemean myself to do anything of the kind," said the woman with a toss of the head; "but certainly she was crying, and soon after I was a-leaning out of the second floor window, it being very 'ot indoors, as we've been a good deal 'arrissed lately by her ladyship." "Go on," cried Tom, impatiently. "Which I am, my lord, as fast as I can," cried the woman; "and there was that tall handsome Italian gentleman, as cook thinks is a furrin' nobleman in disguise, playing on his hinstrument." "Yes," said Tom, sarcastically. "And all of a sudden he stops, and I see him go into the portico." "Oh, yes, of course," said Tom. "And then there was a lot of whispering." "Yes, yes," said Tom; "oh, yes, of course." "And that's all, my lord, only my young mistress wasn't in the room when I came back." "Now then, all of you," cried Tom, "once for all, this absurd rumour is one of the most ridiculous--What's that you say?" he cried sharply, as he heard a whisper. "I was saying to Ma'amselle Justine that my young lady was always encouraging them men about, my lord," said the housemaid, "and that if I'd been one of the spying sort I might have seen her." "Poor thing," said the cook, loudly. "She has been drove to it. I have a heart of my own." "Silence!" roared Tom. "How dare you? Here, has any one else got anything to say? You? Oh yes, you are my sister's maid." "Yes, my lord," said Dolly Preen, spitefully. "Well, what do you know?" "I know that my mistress was always listening at first to that dreadful Italian," said Dolly. "No, no--you, you," cried Justine. "I fought against it, and mastered it," said Dolly proudly; "Lady Maude found it too much, I suppose." "Well, I never!" ejaculated Mrs Downes. "Go on," cried Tom. "And then she got to dropping notes to him out of the window, my lord."