the expected guests. Apparently they were to be received, although the
duchess would not receive them. Not knowing what to make of that
situation, I walked out into the garden and lit my pipe; I had clung to
that in spite of my change of raiment.

Presently Suzanne looked out. A call from the duke proclaimed that she had
stolen a moment. She nodded, pointed to the narrow gravel path which led
into the shrubbery, and hastily withdrew. I understood, and strolled
carelessly along the path till I reached the shrubbery. There another
little path, running nearly at right angles to that by which I had come,
opened before me. I strolled some little way along, and finding myself
entirely hidden from the house by the intervening trees, I sat down on a
rude wooden bench to wait patiently till I should be wanted. For the
duchess I should have had to wait some time, but for company I did not
wait long; after about ten minutes I perceived a small, spare,
dark-complexioned man coming along the path toward me and toward the
house. He must have made a short cut from the road, escaping the winding
of the carriage-way. He wore decent but rather shabby clothes, and carried
a small valise in his hand. Stopping opposite to me, he raised his hat and
seemed to scan my neat blue brass-buttoned coat and white cords with
interest.

"You belong to the household of the duke, sir?" he asked, with a polite
lift of his hat.

I explained that I did--for the moment.

"Then you think of leaving, sir?"

"I do," I said, "as soon as I can; I am only engaged for the time."