“Oh, but you haven’t had your tea yet!” said Angela. “I’m afraid we are interrupting you?” “It’s laid for _two_,” remarked the boy. “Himself and his poor brother, Tommy!” “I do be proud----” began the Duke. But suddenly the door from the kitchen opened and Monsieur Alphonse appeared. He carried a large plate loaded with shrimps. “Ze shrimp!” he cried triumphantly, waving a napkin which he held in his other hand. “Crikey, who’s this!” cried Tommy. Well he might! Monsieur Alphonse wore a tight-fitting frock-coat, a waterfall tie of huge dimensions, pearl-grey trousers, white spats, and patent-leather boots, a red rose in one lapel of the coat, and in the other the blue ribbon of the Order of St Honoratus of Pomerania, bestowed on him by his Serene Highness the Reigning Duke, on the occasion of the latter’s coronation banquet. The Duke was vexed. “Monsieur Alphonse,” he said, “I did not ring.” Naturally he forgot the absence of a bell. “_Mais, Monsieur le_----” The Duke arrested his words with a gesture, and turned to Angela. “Further concealment, madam, is, I fear, useless. I am not what I seem. May I rely on your honour?” Angela fixed her charming blue eyes on the Duke. “But who are you? And what does it mean?” There is no telling what explanation the Duke intended to proffer; for at this instant Tommy cried, with every appearance of agitation: “Angela, Willie Anderson was right! It is them!” “Them!” said Angela affrightedly, and sank into a chair. “Who’s Willie Anderson, my boy?” asked the Duke kindly. “He’s the Chief Constable--and you’ll soon find it out. If you did take the silver plate, you needn’t have knocked old Lady Culverstone down with the poker, you--you scoundrel, you!” “I knock old Lady Culverstone down with the---- Oh, preposterous!” exclaimed the Duke. He turned to Angela. “_You_ don’t believe that of me?” he asked in a tender voice. “It was supposed they wore the disguise of working-men,” she answered. “Willie did tell me that.” “Willie?” “I’m--I’m engaged to Captain Anderson, the Chief Constable,” Angela confessed, with a pretty blush. “There you are!” said the Duke, fairly exasperated by this additional vexation. “That’s what always happens to me!” Before he could say any more, Frank rushed in from the kitchen. “The cottage is surrounded with police and labourers!” he cried. “They’ll be in at the door in a moment!”