At the very time that Bevil Goring, unconscious of mischief being worked against him, was discussing his cutlets and Chablis at the Hôtel du Parc, Mr. Gaskins was having an interview with his master, Lord Cadbury, at the adjacent Hôtel St. Antoine.
'Captain Goring in Antwerp!' exclaimed the latter. 'How the devil has he discovered that we are here, for that circumstance alone can have brought him at a season when no one travels, and I have sedulously kept my name out of the London papers.'
'It is the greatest lark out!' said Gaskins, bursting for the third time into an explosion of laughter.
'What is the greatest lark—what do you mean, Gaskins?' asked the peer, with some asperity, while staring at his dependent.
'You remember the arrest of one of these Belgian rigger fellows, who were repairing the yacht, as a Liberal communist, or something of that kind, my lord?'
'Perfectly well.'
'He threw into a locker of the cabin some printed revolutionary manifestoes, which were found yesterday by Captain Llanyard, who meant to destroy them, so as to have no bother about the matter; but I slipped them into the railway rugs of that ere Captain Goring, gave the straight tip to a jangdarum, and I have no doubt that before night he will be arrested.'
Cadbury actually joined in the explosion of merriment with which his valet concluded this revelation of rascality.
'Egad, you are a genius, Gaskins,' said he; 'but did Llanyard see you do this?'
'No, my lord.'