"We  cannot  have  people  falling  asleep  here.  Take  him
away  at  once,  please.  It  is  nearly  closing  time,  and  the
police  might  look  in  at  any  moment.  It 's  hard  enough,"
he  added,  with  a  little  grumble,  "to  keep  one's  license
as  it  is."

They  jogged  Ambrose's  elbow,  but  he  only  fell  over  to
the  other  side  without  opening  his  eyes.  Then  they  helped
him  to  rise.  A  waiter  fetched  his  hat,  and  they  left  the
place,  supporting  him  one  on  either  side.  They  moved  a
few  yards  down  the  street.  Then  Marcel  called  a  four-
wheel  cab,  and  they  hoisted  him  in.
"Where  are  your  lodgings?"  he  asked.
Ambrose  half  opened  his  eyes.  "Pickett  Street,  Water-
loo Road,"  he  answered,  and  then  fell  back  among  the
cushions.
They  gave  the  address  to  the  driver.  Marcel  sat  by  his
side.  Pierre  was  opposite.  The  cab  rumbled  off.
CHAPTER  XXVI

THE  two  men  who  stood  talking  earnestly  in  a  corner
of  the  Duchess  of  Mechester's  drawing-room  ex-
cited comment  both  on  account  of  the  length  of  their  con-
versation and  from  the  mere  fact  that  they  were  carrying
on  an  animated  discussion.  And  yet,  although  one  was
Baron  de  Mayo,  French  ambassador  to  London,  and  the
other  was  the  Marquis  of  Ellingham,  Secretary  for  Foreign
Affairs,  the  interests  of  their  respective  countries  never
once  engaged  their  attention.  So  far  as  the  baron  was  con-
cerned, their  conversation  was  pure  gossip,  and  that  it  had
any  further  significance  for  his  companion  was  a  fact  of
which  he  was  entirely  ignorant.
