to his character if he publicly showed any interest in the conversation,
whatever he might have felt.'

'Since the matter has been mentioned,' said Mr. Jones, 'I may say that I
too noticed the singularity of it.'

'If you had not said otherwise,' replied Doncastle somewhat warmly, 'I
should have asserted him to be the last man-servant in London to infringe
such an elementary rule. If he did so this evening, it is certainly for
the first time, and I sincerely hope that no annoyance was caused--'

'O no, no--not at all--it might have been a mistake of mine,' said Jones.
'I should quite have forgotten the circumstance if Mr. Neigh's words had
not brought it to my mind. It was really nothing to notice, and I beg
that you will not say a word to him about it on my account.'

'He has a taste that way, my dear uncle, nothing more, depend upon it,'
said Neigh. 'If I had such a man belonging to me I should only be too
proud. Certainly do not mention it.'

'Of course Chickerel is Chickerel,' Mr. Doncastle rejoined. 'We all know
what that means. And really, on reflecting, I do remember that he is of
a literary turn of mind--not further by an inch than is commendable, you
know. I am quite aware as I glance down the papers and prints any
morning that Chickerel's eyes have been over the ground before mine, and
that he generally forestalls the rest of us by a chapter or so in the
last new book sent home; but in these vicious days that particular
weakness is really virtue, just because it is not quite a vice.'

'Yes,' said Mr. Jones, the reflective man in spectacles, 'positive