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emaining　on　his　hands　and　knees　after　his　climb　could　read　her　thoughts；　he　would　have　felt　well　rewarded　for　his　abrasions。
　〃I've　a　jolly　good　mind；〃　said　Plummer；　〃to　do　it　myself！〃　He　uttered　a　short；　mirthless　laugh。　〃Well；　anyway；〃　he　said　recklessly；　〃I'll　jolly　well　go　downstairs　and　have　a　brandy…and…soda！〃
　Albert　finished　untying　the　sheet　from　the　bedpost；　and　stuffed　it　under　the　pillow。
　〃And　now；〃　said　Albert；　〃for　a　quiet　smoke　in　the　scullery。〃
　These　massive　minds　require　their　moments　of　relaxation。
　
　　CHAPTER　14
　
　George's　idea　was　to　get　home。　Quick。　There　was　no　possible　chance　of　a　second　meeting　with　Maud　that　night。　　They　had　met　and　had　been　whirled　asunder。　No　use　to　struggle　with　Fate。　Best　to　give　in　and　hope　that　another　time　Fate　would　be　kinder。　What　George　wanted　now　was　to　be　away　from　all　the　gay　glitter　and　the　fairylike　tout　ensemble　and　the　galaxy　of　fair　women　and　brave　men；　safe　in　his　own　easy…chair；　where　nothing　could　happen　to　him。　A　nice　sense　of　duty　would　no　doubt　have　taken　him　back　to　his　post　in　order　fully　to　earn　the　sovereign　which　had　been　paid　to　him　for　his　services　as　temporary　waiter；　but　the　voice　of　Duty　called　to　him　in　vain。　If　the　British　aristocracy　desired　refreshments　let　them　get　them　for　themselvesand　like　it！　He　was　through。
　But　if　George　had　for　the　time　being　done　with　the　British　aristocracy；　the　British　aristocracy　had　not　done　with　him。　　Hardly　had　he　reached　the　hall　when　he　encountered　the　one　member　of　the　order　whom　he　would　most　gladly　have　avoided。
　Lord　Belpher　was　not　in　genial　mood。　Late　hours　always　made　his　head　ache；　and　he　was　not　a　dancing　man；　so　that　he　was　by　now　fully　as　weary　of　the　fairylike　tout　ensemble　as　was　George。　But；　being　the　centre　and　cause　of　the　night's　proceedings；　he　was　pelled　to　be　present　to　the　finish。　He　was　in　the　position　of　captains　who　must　be　last　to　leave　their　ships；　and　of　boys　who　stand　on　burning　decks　whence　all　but　they　had　fled。　He　had　spent　several　hours　shaking　hands　with　total　strangers　and　receiving　with　a　frozen　smile　their　felicitations　on　the　attainment　of　his　majority；　and　he　could　not　have　been　called　upon　to　meet　a　larger　horde　of　relations　than　had　surged　round　him　that　night　if　he　had　been　a　rabbit。　The　Belpher　connection　was　wide；　straggling　over　most　of　England；　and　first　cousins；　second　cousins　and　even　third　and　fourth　cousins　had　debouched　from　practically　every　county　on　the　map　and　marched　upon　the　home　of　their　ancestors。　The　effort　of　having　to　be　civil　to　all　of　these　had　told　upon　Percy。　Like　the　heroine　of　his　sister　Maud's　favourite　poem　he　was　〃aweary；　aweary；〃　and　he　wanted　a　drink。　He　regarded　George's　appearance　as　exceedingly　opportune。
　〃Get　me　a　small　bottle　of　champagne；　and　bring　it　to　the　library。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　The　two　words　sound　innocent　enough；　but；　wishing　as　he　did　to　efface　himself　and　avoid　publicity；　they　were　the　most　unfortunate　which　George　could　have　chosen。　If　he　had　merely　bowed　acquiescence　and　departed；　it　is　probable　that　Lord　Belpher　would　not　have　taken　a　second　look　at　him。　Percy　was　in　no　condition　to　subject　everyone　he　met　to　a　minute　scrutiny。　But；　when　you　have　been　addressed　for　an　entire　lifetime　as　〃your　lordship〃；　it　startles　you　when　a　waiter　calls　you　〃Sir〃。　Lord　Belpher　gave　George　a　glance　in　which　reproof　and　pain　were　nicely　mingled　emotions　quickly　supplanted　by　amazement。　A　gurgle　escaped　him。
　〃Stop！〃　he　cried　as　George　turned　away。
　Percy　was　rattled。　The　crisis　found　him　in　two　minds。　On　the　one　hand；　he　would　have　been　prepared　to　take　oath　that　this　man　before　him　was　the　man　who　had　knocked　off　his　hat　in　Piccadilly。　The　likeness　had　struck　him　like　a　blow　the　moment　he　had　taken　a　good　look　at　the　fellow。　On　the　other　hand；　there　is　nothing　which　is　more　likely　to　lead　one　astray　than　a　resemblance。　He　had　never　forgotten　the　horror　and　humiliation　of　the　occasion；　which　had　happened　in　his　fourteenth　year；　when　a　motherly　woman　at　Paddington　Station　had　called　him　〃dearie〃　and　publicly　embraced　him；　on　the　erroneous　supposition　that　he　was　her　nephew；　Philip。　He　must　proceed　cautiously。　A　brawl　with　an　innocent　waiter；　ing　on　the　heels　of　that　infernal　episode　with　the　policeman；　would　give　people　the　impression　that　assailing　the　lower　orders　had　bee　a　hobby　of　his。
　〃Sir？〃　said　George　politely。
　His　brazen　front　shook　Lord　Belpher's　confidence。
　〃I　haven't　seen　you　before　here；　have　I？〃　was　all　he　could　find　to　say。
　〃No；　sir；〃　replied　George　smoothly。　〃I　am　only　temporarily　attached　to　the　castle　staff。〃
　〃Where　do　you　e　from？〃
　〃America；　sir。〃
　Lord　Belpher　started。　〃America！〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　am　in　England　on　a　vacation。　My　cousin；　Albert；　is　page　boy　at　the　castle；　and　he　told　me　there　were　a　few　vacancies　for　extra　help　tonight；　so　I　applied　and　was　given　the　job。〃
　Lord　Belpher　frowned　perplexedly。　It　all　sounded　entirely　plausible。　And；　what　was　satisfactory；　the　statement　could　be　checked　by　application　to　Keggs；　the　butler。　And　yet　there　was　a　lingering　doubt。　However；　there　seemed　nothing　to　be　gained　by　continuing　the　conversation。
　〃I　see；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃Well；　bring　that　champagne　to　the　library　as　quick　as　you　can。〃
　〃Very　good；　sir。〃
　Lord　Belpher　remained　where　he　stood；　brooding。　Reason　told　him　he　ought　to　be　satisfied；　but　he　was　not　satisfied。　It　would　have　been　different　had　he　not　known　that　this　fellow　with　whom　Maud　had　bee　entangled　was　in　the　neighbourhood。　　And　if　that　scoundrel　had　had　the　audacity　to　e　and　take　a　cottage　at　the　castle　gates；　why　not　the　audacity　to　invade　the　castle　itself？
　The　appearance　of　one　of　the　footmen；　on　his　way　through　the　hall　with　a　tray；　gave　him　the　opportunity　for　further　investigation。
　〃Send　Keggs　to　me！〃
　〃Very　good；　your　lordship。〃
　An　interval　and　the　butler　arrived。　Unlike　Lord　Belpher　late　hours　were　no　hardship　to　Keggs。　He　was　essentially　a　night…blooming　flower。　His　brow　was　as　free　from　wrinkles　as　his　shirt…front。　He　bore　himself　with　the　conscious　dignity　of　one　who；　while　he　would　have　freely　admitted　he　did　not　actually　own　the　castle；　was　nevertheless　aware　that　he　was　one　of　its　most　conspicuous　ornaments。
　〃You　wished　to　see　me；　your　lordship？〃
　〃Yes。　Keggs；　there　are　a　number　of　outside　men　helping　here　tonight；　aren't　there？〃
　〃Indubitably；　your　lordship。　The　unprecedented　scale　of　the　entertainment　necessitated　the　engagement　of　a　certain　number　of　supernumeraries；〃　replied　Keggs　with　an　easy　fluency　which　Reggie　Byng；　now　cooling　his　head　on　the　lower　terrace；　would　have　bitterly　envied。　〃In　the　circumstances；　such　an　arrangement　was　inevitable。〃
　〃You　engaged　all　these　men　yourself？〃
　〃In　a　manner　of　speaking；　your　lordship；　and　for　all　practical　purposes；　yes。　Mrs。　Digby；　the　'ouse…keeper　conducted　the　actual　negotiations　in　many　cases；　but　the　arrangement　was　in　no　instance　considered　plete　until　I　had　passed　each　applicant。〃
　〃Do　you　know　anything　of　an　American　who　says　he　is　the　cousin　of　the　page…boy？〃
　〃The　boy　Albert　did　introduce　a　nominee　whom　he　stated　to　be　'is　cousin　'ome　from　New　York　on　a　visit　and　anxious　to　oblige。　I　trust　he　'as　given　no　dissatisfaction；　your　lordship？　　He　seemed　a　respectable　young　man。〃
　〃No；　no；　not　at　all。　I　merely　wished　to　know　if　you　knew　him。　One　can't　be　too　careful。〃
　〃No；　indeed；　your　lordship。〃
　〃That's　all；　then。〃
　〃Thank　you；　your　lordship。〃
　Lord　Belpher　was　satisfied。　He　was　also　relieved。　He　felt　that　prudence　and　a　steady　head　had　kept　him　from　making　himself　ridiculous。　When　George　presently　returned　with　the　life…saving　fluid；　he　thanked　him　and　turned　his　thoughts　to　other　things。
　But；　if　the　young　master　was　satisfied；　Keggs　was　not。　Upon　Keggs　a　bright　light　had　shone。　There　were　few　men；　he　flattered　himself；　who　could　more　readily　put　two　and　two　together　and　bring　the　sum　to　a　correct　answer。　Keggs　knew　of　the　strange　American　gentleman　who　had　taken　up　his　abode　at　the　cottage　down　by　Platt's　farm。　His　looks；　his　habits；　and　his　motives　for　ing　there　had　formed　food　for　discussion　throughout　one　meal　in　the　servant's　hall；　a　stranger　whose　abstention　from　brush　and　palette　showed　him　to　be　no　artist　being　an　object　of　interest。　And　while　the　solution　put　forward　by　a　romantic　lady's…maid；　a　great　reader　of　novelettes；　that　the　young　man　had　e　there　to　cure　himself　of　some　unhappy　passion　by　muning　with　nature；　had　been　scoffed　at　by　the　pany；　Keggs　had　not　been　so　sure　that　there　might　not　be　something　in　it。　　Later　events　had　deepened　his　suspicion；　which　now；　after　this　interview　with　Lord　Belpher；　had　bee　certainty。
　The　extreme　fishiness　of　Albert's　sudden　production　of　a　cousin　from　America　was　so　manifest　that　only　his　preoccupation　at　the　moment　when　he　met　the　young　man　could　have　prevented　him　seeing　it　before。　His　knowledge　of　Albert　told　him　that；　if　one　so　versed　as　that　youth　in　the　art　of　Swank　had　really　possessed　a　cousin　in　America；　he　would　long　ago　have　been　boring　the　servants'　hall　with　fictions　about　the　man's　wealth　and　importance。　For　Albert　not　to　lie　about　a　thing；　practically　proved　that　thing　non…existent。　Such　was　the　simple　creed　of　Keggs。
　He　accosted　a　passing　f