"You may say, 'Higgins is not to be interfered with, for the present,'
and sign it, 'Fauntleroy,'" said the Earl.

Fauntleroy dipped his pen in the ink again, and resting his arm, began
to write. It was rather a slow and serious process, but he gave his
whole soul to it. After a while, however, the manuscript was complete,
and he handed it to his grandfather with a smile slightly tinged with
anxiety.

"Do you think it will do?" he asked.

The Earl looked at it, and the corners of his mouth twitched a little.

"Yes," he answered; "Higgins will find it entirely satisfactory." And he
handed it to Mr. Mordaunt.

What Mr. Mordaunt found written was this:


"Dear mr. Newik if you pleas mr. higins is not to be intur feared with
for the present and oblige. Yours rispecferly,

"FAUNTLEROY."


"Mr. Hobbs always signed his letters that way," said Fauntleroy; "and I
thought I'd better say 'please.' Is that exactly the right way to spell
'interfered'?"