"That's all I can think of. But, of course, there may be other things." "I reckon," said Conroy, "that your Government can't be quite fool enough to mind much about what Lady Moyne does with my money. The pennies she drops into the slot so as to make Babberly talk won't hurt them any." This was very much my own opinion. If I were a member of the government--I rather think I actually was, a few weeks later--Babberly would merely stimulate me. "You can tell your Government from me--" said Conroy. "It's not my Government." "Well tell _that_ Government from me, that when I want a title I'll put down the full market price. At present I'm not taking any." Next day Conroy went off with Crossan in his motor car. He did not come back. I got a telegram from him later in the afternoon asking me to forward his luggage to Belfast. I forget the excuse he made for treating me in this very free and easy way; but there was an excuse, I know, probably quite a long one, for the telegram filled three sheets of the paper which the post-office uses for these messages. Conroy's sudden departure was a bitter sorrow and disappointment to Godfrey. He came up to dinner that night with three new pearl studs in the front of his shirt. "What I can't understand," he said, "is why a man like Conroy should spend his time with your upper servants; people like Crossan, whom I shouldn't dream of shaking hands with." "I'm afraid," I said, "that he's not going to give you that job you hoped for." "He may," said Godfrey. "I think he liked me right enough. If only he could be got to believe that Power is robbing him right and left." "But is he?" "He's doing what practically comes to the same thing. Once Conroy finds out--and he will some day--I should think I'd have a middling good chance of getting his secretaryship. He must have a gentleman for that job, otherwise he'd never be able to get along at all. I don't suppose he knows how to do things a bit. He evidently doesn't know how to behave. Look at the way he's gone on with Crossan since he's been here. Now if I were his secretary--" Godfrey mumbled on. He evidently has hopes of ousting Bob Power. He may possibly succeed in doing so. Godfrey has all the cunning characteristic of the criminal lunatic. Three days later he got his chance of dealing with Bob Power. The _Finola_ anchored in our bay again and Bob Power was in command of her. CHAPTER XIV