"It depends on the Regiment, I expect," replied Ernie. "There's not much of that in the Hammer-men. Our officers were mostly all right. More gentlemen than most, from what I could see of it. They were sports, and they tried to be just. Of course there wasn't none of em like dad--only the Colonel. Hadn't the education. But some of these snotty little jumped-ups like what they had in the Welsh Liverpools that lay alongside us in Pindi ... Why I wouldn't salute em if I met em in the lines." Mr. Pigott listened to this audacious statement with the hostile interest of the radical. "A rotten system," he said. "Built on make-believe and lies." "It fairly rots some of em," Ernie admitted. "Gives em more power nor what they can carry. But in the hands of the right men it don't work so bad. All depends on that." Then Mr. Pigott asked him what he proposed to do. "That's what I come to you about, sir." "Of course your brother won't help!" "No, sir; nor I wouldn't ask him," flashed Ernie. "And I don't blame you," answered Mr. Pigott. "Alf's too busy taking the Mass and walking in processions to help his brother.... Now I'll tell you what to do. You go up and see Mr. Trupp. He can do anything he likes now he's disembowelled Royalty. And if he can't help you, I must; though I haven't got a vacant job in the yard just now. You're to sleep at my place, _she_ says." He followed Ernie to the door. "What d'you make of your father?" he asked mysteriously. "I don't rightly understand him, sir," Ernie answered. "Don't you?" said Mr. Pigott. "I do." He dropped his voice. "He's waiting the Second Coming, I'm sure of it." When Ernie presented himself at the Manor, Mr. Trupp was out. Ernie thought Mrs. Trupp would see him. The smart maid thought not. Ernie, however, proved right. Mrs. Trupp was sitting in the long drawing-room, with her daughter, and greeted him with pleasure. "Ernie!" cried Mrs. Trupp. "This is a sight for sair e'en. What a man you've become!" "Was Alfred decent to you?" blurted Bess. Mrs. Trupp shot a warning glance at her impetuous daughter. "And have you seen the new Mrs. Pigott?" she asked. "She's top-hole," cried Bess. "He never stops talking about her. Really after that other old thing always sitting on his head----" Then Mr. Trupp entered, smiling, and cocking his face to sum up his visitor through his pince-nez. "You needn't introduce yourself, Ernie," he growled. "You've taken no harm, I see." Later the two men retired to the consulting-room to talk business. "Would you care for a temporary job at the Hohenzollern?" asked Mr. Trupp; "the German Hotel on the Crumbles. It was building in your time. They want a lift-man, I know." "Anything, sir," answered Ernie with easy enthusiasm. Mr. Trupp rang up the Hotel and arranged the matter there and then.