The countenance of George Whaley at that moment was not one to inspire confidence in the young. There was blood on his cheek-bone. His collar was torn, and all adrift upon the starboard side; his tie was under his ear; there was a gaping tear in his coat. "Ow! You young dose of poison!" bawled the injured man, as he lunged forward upon his prey, and with a loud cry Ethelbert fled. He fled through the open door into the coal yard, George Whaley limping after. There stood against the wall of the yard, leaning to its summit, a crazy old ladder. The light boy Ethelbert nipped up it, and at its foot stood the unhappy and ponderous victim of his misleading confidences, shaking an impotent fist. [Illustration: _Dialogue between the Boy Ethelbert and his fallen superior._] Security lent courage to the youth. "You look hot," he said kindly. "You come down!" hissed Whaley, clenching his teeth, "and I'll flay you alive--slowly--inch by inch!" "Sounds good," grinned Ethelbert; with thoughtful prevision he kicked the ladder down. Its rotten wood smashed into a dozen pieces as it fell, and the youth was delighted to note that a flying fragment had caught his superior a fine smack on the side of the jaw. For to him that hath, more shall be added. Ethelbert feared not the future; his judgment told him, not insecurely, that the butler's powers were at an end. "Been havin' a scrap?" continued Ethelbert, by way of making conversation. "'Ow's the other man?" George Whaley's cup was full. "Come down," he groaned stupidly. "Come down!" "Me come down?" answered his former subaltern with an air. "Why, what can you be thinking of? It's only just over church time yet. You can hear the sweet bells ringing--'ark!" and he lifted an ecstatic forefinger with heavenward-lifted eyes. The butler put his hand upon the old red brick wall. His adventures were beginning to tell upon him. He felt sick. "It's all along o' you!" he said thickly, spat, to see whether his lungs were injured, was pleased to find they were not; then, still suffering, repeated, "It's all along o' you! What," he added in a higher key of tragic indignation, "what the burning hell did yer mean by telling me the boss had pinched the emerald?" "_I_ tell you the boss had pinched the emerald?" sneered Ethelbert from his high place. "Oh, chase me, Ananias!" "Yes, yer did!" came again from the uplifted purple face. "Yer told me with yer own lips that you knew yerself it was in the 'ands of the 'ighest." "I never! You dare say I did!" cried the indignant whelp. "Liar! What I may have _thought_ was that his lordship ..." "His lordship?" groaned the suffering man, a light breaking in upon him. "Yes, mubbe! Don't you dare go to say as I said so. Otherwise I'll have the lor on yer! So mind your fat feet! I'll be treading on 'em. I never said nuffing. I didn't. 'Sides which, it's all one now. The emerald's been found." "Found?" gasped Whaley with a stare.