"What is it? You haven't spoken with the messenger, have you?"
"I have seen him, sir, but I got the message through the innkeeper. He speaks a little English. The lady would be glad to see you as soon after the fourth hour as possible. They have their own way of reckoning time, but as far as I can understand it, sir, it means something between ten and eleven. At any rate, it's what Cantelucci says, and he can tell the time by an English watch all right."
"Shut the window, Spire. I don't want to hear that drum. Yes, it would mean as soon after ten as possible, but why has the fellow been so long? Is it very far?"
"No, sir, I think it's quite close, really. He was so long because he has been trying to give your note to the lady herself and there was some difficulty about it. That innkeeper tells me that instead of handing it to the porter the fellow got in through the kitchen door and was dodging about a passage for some time."
Cosmo looked fixedly at Spire, whose face expressed no opinion whatever on those proceedings.
"Dodging in a passage," repeated Cosmo. "But did he see the lady herself?"
"Apparently not, sir. Cantelucci slanged him for being so long, but he said he thought he was acting for the best. He would have been there yet if a black woman hadn't come along and snatched the letter out of his hand. It was she too who brought down the message from the lady."
"Oh, yes," said Cosmo. "Don't you remember there was a black maid?"
"Yes, sir, I remember perfectly well, in the house-keeper's room. She learned to talk English very quickly, but she was a little spitfire."
"Was she?"