"Can I be of any assistance, Mr Denville?" said a voice that thrilled Claire through and through, but which made her shrink back up a few stairs to avoid being seen. "Who's that?--Mr Linnell? Yes," panted Denville. "My servant, sir--my lacquey. This is the fourth time he has come back from being absent without leave, intoxicated, sir. Tipsy. Not fit to come into a gentleman's presence." "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Isaac--"Gentleman's presence! I don't call you a gentleman. Why, you're all that's mean and shabby and poor. Just you pay me my wages in arrears." "Come to-morrow, scoundrel," said Denville loftily. "Mr Linnell, if you would kindly send one of the people outside for a constable. He will find one by the Assembly-Room. Let him say that the man is wanted at Mr Denville's--at the Master of the Ceremonies', and he will come on directly." Linnell glanced up at where Claire was turning back in shame and distress of mind, little thinking that in a few minutes she would be bravely standing at her father's side. "Fetch a constable!" cried Isaac defiantly. "Do, if you dare. What do I care for a constable?" "Why don't you pay the man his wages?" said a voice at the door. "Ah, to be sure," cried Isaac, with a tipsy laugh. "Why don't you pay the man his wages? 'Cause you can't. Beggarly old upstart." "Silence, you scoundrel!" cried Linnell fiercely, "or I'll drag you out and throw you over the cliff for your insolence." "Do it--do it!" cried Isaac fiercely. "Who's afraid?" "Silence, dog!" cried Denville, catching up his cane. "Don't strike him, Mr Denville," said Linnell. "Some one there fetch a constable. Five shillings for the first man who brings one here." "Don't you, m'lads," cried Isaac. "He daren't send for a constable. I tell you he daren't--not for me. Send for one for himself." Claire trembled and shuddered at those words; and, had it been possible, she would have ended the scene at any cost, but she was helpless. For a moment Linnell had thought of seizing and dragging out the tipsy servant; but on second consideration he felt that it might just as well be done by some one in authority, so, hurrying out, he despatched one of the crowd in another direction to that taken by the two or three who had hurried off on the promise of a reward, and then turned back to see if he could be of any further service. "Cons'able for me!" said Isaac, with tipsy gravity. "I like that. I like that--much. Let him come. Make him pay me _my_ wages. Then I'll go. Not before, if all the old Masters o' Ceremonies in England wanted me to go." "The insolent scoundrel!" panted Denville; "after all I've done for him since he came to me a boy." "Done for me! Ha-ha-ha!" laughed Isaac; "kept me on short commons, and didn't pay my wages. Now, then, are you going to pay my money?"