“I came down to this room, sir. I looked at the owl. But I couldn't see how to stop the owl, sir. I saw you all sitting round the room. I'm afraid I listened, sir.”
“That was not a gentlemanly thing to do,” said Lane. “Was it now?”
“No, sir.”
“You understood all that was said. Eh, boy?” said Candlish.
“Yes, sir. I understood it all.”
“Well, young man,” said Falk. “You'll be sorry you did.”
“Be quiet, Falk,” said the Duke. “No one shall bully the boy. What's your name, boy?”
“Martin Hyde, sir.”
“A very smart lad too, sir,” said Jermyn. “He saved my book of cipher correspondence yesterday. We should have been in trouble if that had got into the wrong hands.”
“You understand,” said the Duke, “that what you have heard might get us all, perhaps many more besides ourselves, into very terrible danger if repeated?”