At that very moment the servant returned with a message from the consul to the effect that in half an hour he could be seen, if the applicant would call again.
"Very good," said Chivey, in the same patronising manner, "you may tell your master that I will look back later on."
"Very well, sir."
Chivey walked out, chuckling inwardly at the success of his mission.
"What could be easier?" said the Cockney scamp to himself; "shelling peas is a fool to it."
But before he could get fairly over the threshold, the servant stopped him with a question that startled him a little, and well-nigh made him lose his presence of mind.
"The man who called just now, sir, he left a letter."
"Eh? Oh, yes!"
"For you, sir?"
"Yes," added Chivey with the coolest effrontery. "My servant knew that I had come on here; thinking to be detained some time with his excellency the consul, I left word at my hotel where I was coming, and he followed me here with a letter."