“He hath no suspicions as yet of our identity?” “None whatever, sir.” “’Tis pity I declared my name at the inn yonder, Robert.” “Why, I don’t see, sir, how Mr. Sturton is going to find out as you’re Sir John Dering—I mean, that Mr. Derwent is Sir John Dering, or that Sir John Dering is Mr. Derwent, or that your honour is ekally both and each other, the very same i-dentical person both together at the very same, pre-cise moment, sir.” “It certainly sounds sufficiently involved, Bob. But I will confess the man puzzles me. I have even troubled to go through his accounts with my lawyers and they seem perfectly in order—and yet I know him for a rogue ... and, moreover, he knocked me into a ditch and called me a ‘lad’!” “Lorramity!” exclaimed Robert, his imperturbability momentarily shaken. “The term ‘lad’ rankles, Bob: the ditch I heartily forgive him, but—‘lad’!” “The ex-pression, sir, so applied strikes me as blass-phemious, your honour!” Sir John laughed and became thoughtful, seeing which Robert reined his horse respectfully to the rear, and so they rode on for a while in silence, then: “Robert!” “Sir?” “Have you seen Sir Hector recently?” “Day afore yesterday, sir.” “How was he?” “Doleful, sir. ‘Doleful’ is the only word for it! And, sir, he said a thing which, begging his pardon, I felt bound to deny.” “What was it, Bob?” “Sir, he sets staring at his horses y-ears, being mounted, sir, and, ‘Robbie,’ says he, and remarkable bitter, sir, ‘Robbie, women are the devil!’ Whereupon, sir, I made so bold as to answer, ‘Saving your presence, Sir Hector—some!’” “Highly discriminating, Bob!” said Sir John. “Anything more?” “Aye, sir, he did. ‘Robbie,’ says he, ‘women ha’ made fools o’ men from the beginning!’ says he, ‘and so they will to the end! A plague on ’em!’ says he, and spurs off at a gallop afore I could make retort ade-quate, sir.” “Hum!” murmured Sir John pensively. “As to our Mr. Sturton, have you felt yourself impelled to any further acts of—hostility, Bob?” “Only very slightly, your honour. To be particular, the day afore yesterday, precise time three-thirty-five p.m., chancing to observe certain young female in——” “Damsel, Robert!” “Yes, your honour ... in tears, sir, I stepped alongside of said young fe——” “Maid, Robert!”