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It was past two o’clock when the job-chaise turned into Hill Street; and, as the watch his way round Berkeley Square ht A fullthe street-lamps: even, as the solitary traveller had noticed, in Pall Mall, where gas-lighting had replaced the oil-burners Link from an open door on the east side of Berkeley Square indicated that not all the members of the ton had left London; but at the end of June the Season was drawing to a close; and it did not surprise the traveller to find Hill Street deserted It would not have surprised him if the knocker had been removed from the door of a certain house on the north side of the street, but when the chaise drew up a swift scrutiny reassured him: the Earl of Denville’s town residence had not yet been abandoned for the su a tasselled and corded Polish greatcoat, and a shalloned beaver, sprang down?fro portmanteau froway, and pulled out his purse The postboys paid, he picked up the portave the iron bell-pull a tug
By the time the last echo of the clapper died away the chaise had disappeared, but no one had responded to the bell’s su He heard it clanging soions, but was forced to conclude, after waiting for several minutes, that it had failed to rouse any of my lord’s servants
He considered the h unlikely, that the household had re the knocker fro the s To verify that the s had not been shuttered he retreated to the flagway, and scanned the house, perceiving that not only were all the s unshuttered but that one of them, on the entrance-floor, had been left open a few inches at the top This gave, as he knew, on to the dining-roo reatcoat, and trusting that no watchman would come down the street in time to observe his clandestine entry, he proceeded to demonstrate to the uninterested moon that Colonel Dan Mackinnon, of the Coldstream Guards, was not without a rival in the art of perilous cli
No such thought entered the Hon Christopher Fancot’s head: he was not acquainted with Colonel Mackinnon; and he did not think the feat of reaching the desired -sill either dangerous or difficult Once there it was easy to thrust up the lower sash, and to swing hied into the hall, where, upon aloith an unlit candle in a silver holder standing beside it Observing these objects with an intelligent eye, Mr Fancot concluded that their noble owner had told his servants not to wait up for him The subsequent discovery that the front-door was unbolted confirmed him in this belief As he opened the door, to retrieve his belongings from the porch, he reflected, with an inward chuckle, that when his lordship did come home at last he would find his bed occupied by a most unlooked-for visitor, and would in all probability think that he was a great deal boskier than he had supposed
On this thought, which appeared, from the mischievous smile which played about the corners of his mouth, to afford Mr Fancot amusement, he kindled the candle at the lamp’s low flame, and made his way towards the staircase
He went softly up, the candlestick held in one hand, his port over his shoulder No creaking stair betrayed hiht a door opened on the floor above, and a voice said anxiously: ‘Evelyn?’
He looked up, seeing, in the light of a bedrooile hand, a feether by ribbons of the palest green satin Frolets the colour of ripe corn had been allowed to escape The gentle cap, love!’
The vision thus addressed heaved a sigh of relief, but said, with a gurgle of laughter: ‘You absurd boy! Oh, Evelyn, I’m so thankful you’ve come, but what in the world has detained you? I’ve been sick with apprehension!’
There was a quizzical gleaentleman’s eyes, but he said in accents of deep reproach: ‘Come, come, Mama – !’
‘It may be very well for you to say Come, come, Mama,’ she retorted, ‘but when you faithfully pro down at him in sudden doubt
Abandoning the portreatcoat fro stairs two at a ti still more reproachfully: ‘No, really, Mama! How can you be so unnatural a parent?’
‘Kit!’ uttered his unnatural parent, in a s, my dearest son!’
Mr Fancot, receiving his ed , but said, on a note of laughter: ‘Oh, what a rapper! I’m not your dearest son!’
Standing on tiptoe to kiss his lean cheek, and dropping wax from her tilted candle down the sleeve of his coat, Lady Denville replied with dignity that she had never felt the smallest preference for either of her twin sons
‘Of course not! How should you, when you can’t tell us apart?’ said Mr Fancot, prudently rerasp
‘I can tell you apart!’ she declared ‘If I had expected to see you I should have recognized you instantly! The thing was, I thought you were in Vienna’
‘No, I’ly down at her ‘Stewart gave me leave of absence: are you pleased?’