Page:The Duke Decides (1904).djvu/127

 night before. Him Sadgrove severely rejected, selecting his colleague.

“There’s an apple-woman under the rails opposite,” he said, producing a sovereign. “Run across and offer this for her basket and its contents. If she refuses, the chances are that she will almost immediately move away. In that case, if you can follow her a little distance, without letting her observe you, bring me back word directly she stops and speaks to anyone.”

The well-trained servant, with scarcely the blink of an eyelash for his extraordinary mission, started to fulfil it, and the General hastened on to the smoking-room, where Forsyth and Sybil were still on guard at the window.

“Has the woman been doing any business?” he asked as he entered.

“She has only had one customer, who got off a Hammersmith ’bus and walked on,” replied Sibyl, without removing her gaze. “And now—why, it’s one of our liveries—Steptoe, the first footman, is going up to her. Oh, but this is interesting. He is offering her a coin, and she is shaking her head.”

“Go on,” said the General.

“Steptoe is recrossing the road towards the