“Well, if they don’t, still we shall have him.  One of us saw his face.”

“Ah!”

“It was the honorable—­the knave of trumps.  While Yates was getting the arms, Trumps slipped out by the garden gate and caught a glimpse of our friend; he saw him take the lantern up and fling it down and run.  The light fell full on his face and he could swear to it out of a thousand.  So the net is round our friend and we shall have him before the day is out.”

Dring-a-dong-dring” (a ring at the bell).

“Have you done, Tom?”

“Just one more turn, sir.”

“Then, Jenny, you see who that is?”

Jenny went and returned with an embossed card, “It is a young gentleman—­mustache and lavender gloves; oh, such a buck!”

“Who can it be? the ‘Honorable George Lascelles?’ why that is the very man.  I remember he said he would do himself the honor to call on me.  That is the knave of trumps; go down directly, Robinson, and tell him I’m at home and bring him up.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes, sir!  Well, then, why don’t you go!”

“Um! perhaps Jenny will go while I clear these things away;” and without waiting for an answer Robinson hastened to encumber himself with the tea-tray, and flung the loaf and curling-irons into it, and bustled about and showed a sudden zeal lest this bachelor’s room should appear in disorder; and as Jenny mounted the front stairs followed by the sprig of nobility, he plunged heavily laden down the back stairs into the kitchen and off with his coat and cleaned knives like a mad thing.

“Oh! if I had but a pound in my pocket,” thought he, “I would not stay another hour in Sydney.  I’d get my ring and run for Bathurst and never look behind me.  How comfortable and happy I was until I fell back into the old courses, and now see what a life mine has been ever since!  What a twelve hours! hunted like a wild beast, suspected and watched by my fellow-servant and forced to hide my thoughts from this one and my face from that one; but I deserve it and I wish it was ten times as bad.  Oh! you fool—­you idiot—­you brute—­it is not the half of what you deserve.  I ask but one thing of Heaven—­that his reverence may never know; don’t let me break that good man’s heart; I’d much rather die before the day is out!”

At this moment Jenny came in.  Robinson cleaned the poor knives harder still and did not speak; his cue was to find out what was passing in the girl’s mind.  But she washed her cup and saucer and plates in silence.  Presently the bell rang.

“Tom!” said Jenny quietly.

“Would you mind going, Jenny?”

“Me! it is not my business.”

“No, Jenny! but once in a way if you will be so kind.”

“Once! why I have been twice to the door for you to-day.  You to your place and I to mine.  Shan’t go!”

“Look at me with my coat off and covered with brickdust.”

“Put your coat on and shake the dust off.”