As we drew up to the porch, I opened the door of the vehicle and handed her out. Then I closed the door very carefully and looked at the coachman. His eyes were protruding from his head, and he recoiled as I laid a hand the box. "How much?" I said carelessly. A choking sound came from between his lips, and the the next moment he had flung off the opposite side and was peering into the depths of the brougham. When he had felt all over the cushions, he shut the door and came and looked at me over the back of the horse. "Well, I'm drat--" "Not yet," I said. "Don't anticipate. How much?" "Six months' 'ard, I should say," he replied slowly, "and let down easy at that, gettin' into a private broom wiv yeller wheels an' frightenin' an honest man out of his blooming life. Look at the perspiration on my forehead." He took off his hat, and bent his head toward the lamp, that my view might be the better. "I had already noticed that you were rather hot," I said shortly, "but had in error attributed it to the clemency of the weather. But pray be covered. I would not have your blood also upon my soul. The air strikes cold." "Go hon," he said with ponderous sarcasm. "Go hon. Hi am all ears." "No, no," I said hastily, "not all. Do yourself justice, man." "Justice," he said bitterly. "Justice. I wonder you 'ave the face to--" "Be thankful that one of us has a face to have," I said shortly. "Among other maladies you suffer from irritation of the palm. Yes?" He stared at me. "Don't know about the palm in particular," he said, after a while, "but being so much with the 'orses it do tend to--" "That'll do," I said hurriedly. "Lo, here is a crown, by the vulgar erroneously denominated a 'dollar'. Take it, and drink the lady's health before you go to bed." He took the coins greedily, and touched his hat. Then he partially undressed, in the traditional fashion, and put them away, apparently in a wallet next to his skin. I turned to the girl. "We'll go in, shall we?" I said. "They'll give us some food, even if they do want to paint us. And we can ring up your people. I expect they'll be getting anxious." "Oh, no. This morning they went up to town for the day, and they've only just about got back. And, as I was dining out, they won't expect me for another half-hour. But I think--" "Dining out, lass? Good heavens, I'm afraid you'll have missed the soup, won't you?" "I thought they'd given up dinner in the best circles." "Ah, yes. Of course. But what about the auction halma?" "That's what's worrying me. And so I was going to say if you'll be good enough to tell me where I am, I'll make my way home to where I'm staying." Before I could reply, a voice that I recognized came through the drawing--room window.