A Damsel in Distress

Keggs, the processes of digestion completed, presented himself

before Lord Belpher in the billiard-room. Percy was alone. The

house-party, so numerous on the night of the ball and on his

birthday, had melted down now to reasonable proportions. The

second and third cousins had retired, flushed and gratified, to

obscure dens from which they had emerged, and the castle housed

only the more prominent members of the family, always harder to

dislodge than the small fry. The Bishop still remained, and the

Colonel. Besides these, there were perhaps half a dozen more of the

closer relations: to Lord Belpher's way of thinking, half a dozen

too many. He was not fond of his family.

"Might I have a word with your lordship?"

"What is it, Keggs?"

Keggs was a self-possessed man, but he found it a little hard to

begin. Then he remembered that once in the misty past he had seen

Lord Belpher spanked for stealing jam, he himself having acted on

that occasion as prosecuting attorney; and the memory nerved him.

"I earnestly 'ope that your lordship will not think that I am

taking a liberty. I 'ave been in his lordship your father's service

many years now, and the family honour is, if I may be pardoned for

saying so, extremely near my 'eart. I 'ave known your lordship

since you were a mere boy, and . . ."

Lord Belpher had listened with growing impatience to this preamble.

His temper was seldom at its best these days, and the rolling

periods annoyed him.

"Yes, yes, of course," he said. "What is it?"

Keggs was himself now. In his opening remarks he had simply been,

as it were, winding up. He was now prepared to begin.

"Your lordship will recall inquiring of me on the night of the ball

as to the bona fides of one of the temporary waiters? The one that

stated that 'e was the cousin of young bli--of the boy Albert, the

page? I have been making inquiries, your lordship, and I regret to

say I find that the man was a impostor. He informed me that 'e was

Albert's cousin, but Albert now informs me that 'e 'as no cousin in

America. I am extremely sorry this should have occurred, your

lordship, and I 'ope you will attribute it to the bustle and haste

inseparable from duties as mine on such a occasion."

"I know the fellow was an impostor. He was probably after the

spoons!"

Keggs coughed.

"If I might be allowed to take a further liberty, your lordship,

might I suggest that I am aware of the man's identity and of his

motive for visiting the castle."