On returning Mr. Berkeley was instantly admitted. The manservant, cowering beneath his stern look, led him meekly to a room off the hall, where he found Polignac in long cloak and jack-boots, evidently on the point of departing on a journey. The squire gave him a keen glance, and was not surprised to find that it was the same man whom he had met at the door of Aglionby’s attic some months before. "Monsieur de Polignac?" he said. "That is my name, Monsieur." "My name is Berkeley. I met you at Aglionby’s. It is for him I come. I desire a word with you." "I am at your service, Monsieur. Shall we be private?" "It will doubtless be better so." Polignac shut the door, and offered Mr. Berkeley a seat. "Thank you, I will stand; I need not detain you long." "As you please, Monsieur." "You have heard, Monsieur, of the plight into which our friend Captain Aglionby has fallen?—I say _our_ friend." "I will not dispute the phrase, Monsieur. I had heard, as you surmise." "Pardon me—as he is our friend—am I right in assuming that the news may have some little connection with your purposed journey?" "Since, as you say, he is _our_ friend, I do not deny it, Monsieur." "So that it will be, let us say, not disagreeable to you if some means of—of cheating the hangman—I am a plain blunt man, Monsieur—should be discovered?" "Pardon me, Monsieur, I do not follow you." Mr. Berkeley looked at him keenly. "I have had a letter from our friend," he said slowly. "And I also, Monsieur." "He solicits my assistance." "And mine." "I came at once to see you." "And I, Monsieur, leave at once for Paris." "Ah!" Polignac, leaning against the window-frame, had an inscrutable smile upon his face. "I will sit down," said Mr. Berkeley, placing a chair with its back to the door; "I find our interview will last a little longer than I looked for." "As you please, Monsieur. You will permit me?" Polignac seated himself at the table. "It appears, Monsieur," said the squire, "that I should have said _my_ friend." "Again, Monsieur, I will not dispute the phrase. His family estates join yours, I understand?" "What?" "I do not know; I only repeat what your friend told me." "Yes, I understand," said Mr. Berkeley hurriedly, feeling that by his unguarded exclamation he had lost one point in the game. "Not precisely adjoin, but the phrase is sufficiently exact: we are neighbours." "And naturally you are concerned at the hapless situation into which your neighbour’s evil star has brought him." "That is so, Monsieur." "Especially seeing that his evil star’s influence extends also to you; is it not so?" "As a neighbour and friend, you mean, Monsieur?"