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"Sister Busy," implored Popper "Cry you mercy, Sister Busy, consider your place in life"

"And while you are conteht that I may well marry your mistress, Lady Lisette," Villiers said "In which case this house will become one vast tent for my wicked self And then you, Mrs Busy, will need to thrust yourself onto the sanctified highway because Iall six of , none of the six was conceived with the benefit ofback and regarding him as if he were the very devil himself "Thou tellest untruths No ainst all odds, Villiers was beginning to enjoy hi your teeth, Mrs Busy? That’s an odd sound you’re "

"Thou art a Nebuchadnezzar, a very Nebuchadnezzar, come to gled

"Sister Busy," Popper implored

"Ibow "Thank you for this char conversation"

Popper ran after hi your pardon, Your Grace," he said, panting

Villiers stopped "What relation is she to you?"

Popper rang his hands "She’s my sister, Your Grace We were raised Puritan, you see, but she took to it fiercely, and then she married Zeal-of-the-Land, and I’id She needs this position She has nowhere else to go, and Zeal-of-the-Land left all his possessions to the church"

"He left everything to the church?"

Popper nodded "With a request that they say prayers for his soul four times a day for a year Which they will, because it transpired that Brother Busy had acquired quite a large estate But unfortunately his will left my sister destitute and in need of a position Please, Your Grace, I know that she’s a fierce woman But Brother Busy’s death left her soured"

"I can i open the baize door that led back to the foyer

They e in circles, Eleanor was shouting, one of the foot on the second or third step of the staircase, screa useless admonitions in a shrill voice

"Quiet!" Villiers bellowed

Everyone obeyed him except, characteristically, Eleanor She whipped around, hands on her hips, and said through clenched teeth, "Escort Lisette elsewhere before I do soret"

Oyster had dropped onto his haunches and was gazing at hily attentive position, so Villiers raised a finger to the foot "Take hi to Lisette

She was clinging to the banister, her face absolutely drained of color Although she had stopped screaht

"Lisette," he said, co to the bottom of the stairs

She looked at hie

"Poor scrap," he said, and held out his arms She fell into theainst his shoulder, as trustingly as if she were a child

"Take her into the drawing rooo outside and ht and sound" She said it flatly, without an edge, but Villiers could read her voice easily enough

He looked down at Lisette’s spun-gold hair She wasn’t the bravest of creatures, but there was no point in defending her at the moment Besides, Eleanor had already stamped out the door after Oyster

So he walked into the drawing room and sat down on a sofa After a moment Lisette eased off his lap and onto the bench beside hi tearssuch a coward"