But it's serious." Mr.Montmorency tapped the side of his handsome nose.
"All right, my boy!" he said.

"I understand--wicked, wicked world! Done?
Dear boy, it shall be done! Come down to the stage door--our man knows every landlady in the town!" By various winding ways and devious passages he led the two young men down to the stage door.

Its keeper, not being particularly busy at that time, was reading the evening newspaper in his glass-walled box, and glanced inquiringly at the strangers as Mr.Montmorency pulled them up before him.
"Prickett," said Mr.Montmorency, leaning into the sanctum over its half-door and speaking confidentially.

"You keep a sort of register of lodgings don't you, Prickett?
Now I wonder if you could tell me where Miss Adela Chatfield, of the _Mrs.Swayne's Necklace_ Company stopped when she was last here ?--that's a year ago or about it.

Prickett," he went on, turning to Gilling, "puts all this sort of thing down, methodically, so that he can send callers on, or send up urgent letters or parcels during the day--isn't that it, Prickett ?" "That's about it, sir," answered the door-keeper.