"It'll be as much as your place is worth, my man, if you don't do what I tell you. Have I been here before, or 'ave I not? Have I been let in to him at once before, or 'ave I not? Does he see me d'rectly you tell him who's waitin', or does he not? Now--go." This speech had such an effect upon Mr. Banks, who remembered that the little man only spoke the truth in his statement of the readiness with which Sir Charles always saw him, that he opened the door, showed Mr. Effingham into the billiard-room (which was decorated with empty tumblers, fragments of lemon-peel, tobacco-ash, and other remnants of the preceding night, and smelt powerfully of stale tobacco), suggested that he should "knock the balls about a bit," and went up to tell his master. When he returned he said, "He's just finished dressin', and I'm to take you up in five minutes. You seem quite a favourite of his." Mr. Effingham laughed. "Yes," he said; "he and I understand one another." Mr. Banks looked at him for a moment, and then said, "Was you ever in the Pacific?" "In the what?" "The Pacific." Mr. Effingham changed colour. He did not half like this. He thought it was the name of some prison, and that the valet had found him out. But he put a bold face on and said, "What's the Pacific?" "Ocean," said Mr. Banks. "No," said Mr. Effingham, "certainly not--nothing of the sort." "Not when you and he," pointing to the ceiling, "was together?" "Certainty not." "Ah!" said Mr. Banks, "kept at home, I suppose; it ain't so dangerous or such hard work at home, is it?--Portsmouth and round there?" "It's hard enough at Portsmouth, from what I've heard," said Mr. Effingham; "that diggin' away at Southsea's dreadful work." "Diggin' aboard ship!" said Banks in astonishment. "How do you mean 'aboard ship'?" said the other. "Why, I'm talkin' of when you and him was on board the--what was it?--you know--Albatross." "Oh!" said Mr. Effingham, greatly relieved, and bursting into a fit of laughter; "we went everywhere then. And that's where I learned something I don't mind teaching you." "What's that?" "Never to keep Sir Charles waiting. The five minutes is up." Mr. Banks looked half-annoyed, but his companion had already risen, so he made the best of it, pretended to laugh, and showed Mr. Effingham into Sir Charles Mitford's private snuggery. Sir Charles was drinking a cup of coffee. He looked eagerly at Mr. Effingham, and when Banks had closed the door, said: "By the expression of your face I should say you bring good news. In two words--do you, or do you not?" "In two words--I do." Mitford set down his cup. Through his mind rushed one thought--the spy over his flirtation with Mrs. Hammond was removed! henceforward he could sit with her, talk to her, look at her, with the consciousness that his words would reach her ear alone, that his actions would not be overlooked. His face flushed with anticipated pleasure as he said: "How was it managed? Did she make much resistance?"