"I regret, my lord, to say that I have."
The Bishop plainly flushed; perhaps he found the Dean's tone and manner slightly galling.
"Perhaps it was not quite the thing to do, but"--his lordship shrugged his shoulders--"what does it matter?"
The Dean, in his turn, winced.
"What does it matter, my lord? Surely your lordship knows that it matters."
"How did the bag come into your possession, Pettifer?"
"It was brought to me by Mr Boulter, the landlord of 'The Rose and Crown.'"
"Boulter!--'The Rose and Crown!'--No, by George!"
His lordship said "By George!" and as he said it the Dean shrunk back as if he had received a blow.
"Mr Boulter, as the price of his silence, extracted from me a promise that his lease should be renewed."