"He was in Downham Market. I was caretaker for the Reverend George Lattimer, and Sir Charles, I should say, Mr. Thorold, came to see the house. I think he thought of buying it, but he didn't buy it. I showed him into every room, I remember, and as he was leaving he put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a sov'rin', and gave it to me, just as you have done. And then he said to me, he said: `Ole man,' he said, `would you like a better job than this?' Those were his very words, `Ole man, would you like a better job than this?'" He grinned and chuckled at the reflection, showing his toothless gums. "And then he took you into his service. Did you come to London at once?" "Ay, next week he brought me up, and I've been here ever since--in this house ever since. The Reverend George Lattimer wor vexed with Sir Charles for a `stealing' me from his service, as he said. I mind in Diss, when--" "Was there any reason why Mr. Thorold should engage you in such a hurry? Did he give any reason? It seems strange he should have engaged a man of your age, living away in Norfolk, and brought you up to London at a few days' notice." "Oh, yes there was reason--there was a reason." "And what was it?" "Well, well, it was not p'raps 'xactly what you might call a `reason,' it was what Sir Charles he calls a `stipilation.' `I have a stipilation to make, Taylor,' he said, when he engaged me. `Yes, sir,' I said, `and what might this, this stipilation be?' I said. `It's like this, Taylor,' he said. `I'll engage you and pay you well, and you will come with me to Lundon to-morrow, and you shall have two comfortable rooms in my house,' those were his very words, sir, `and you will have little work to do, 'cept when I am out of Lundon, and you have to look after the house and act as caretaker. But there be a stipilation I must make.' `And what might that stipilation be, sir?' I asked him. `It's like this,' he said, a looking rather hard at me. `You must never see or know anything that goes on in my Lundon 'ouse, when I am there, or when I am not. If you see or hear anything, you must forget it. Do you understand? Do we understand each other?' he said. And I have done that, sir, ever since Sir Charles engaged me. Never have I seen what happened in this house, nor have I heard what happened in this house, nor known what happened in this house. I have kep' the stipilation, and I've served the master well." "And for serving your master well, and doing your duty, you are rewarded by getting kicked out at a month's notice because of your `advanced age.'" The old man's eyes became suddenly moist as I said this, and I felt sorry I had spoken. "Did you see or hear much you ought to have forgotten?" I hazarded, after a brief pause. He peered up at me with an odd expression, then slowly shook his head. "Have you actually forgotten all you saw and heard?" I inquired carelessly, as I lit a cigarette, "or do you only pretend?"