"Young blighted Albert," said Keggs the butler, shifting his weightso that it distributed itself more comfortably over the creakingchair in which he reclined, "let this be a lesson to you, youngfeller me lad."The day was a week after Lord Marshmoreton's visit to London, thehour six o'clock. The housekeeper's room, in which the upperservants took their meals, had emptied. Of the gay company whichhad just finished dinner only Keggs remained, placidly digesting.

　　Albert, whose duty it was to wait on the upper servants, was movingto and fro, morosely collecting the plates and glasses. The boy wasin no happy frame of mind. Throughout dinner the conversation attable had dealt almost exclusively with the now celebratedelopement of Reggie Byng and his bride, and few subjects could havemade more painful listening to Albert.

　　"What's been the result and what I might call the upshot," saidKeggs, continuing his homily, "of all your making yourself so busyand thrusting of yourself forward and meddling in the affairs ofyour elders and betters? The upshot and issue of it 'as been thatyou are out five shillings and nothing to show for it. Fiveshillings what you might have spent on some good book and improvedyour mind! And goodness knows it wants all the improving it canget, for of all the worthless, idle little messers it's ever beenmy misfortune to have dealings with, you are the champion. Becareful of them plates, young man, and don't breathe so hard. You'aven't got hasthma or something, 'ave you?""I can't breathe now!" complained the stricken child.

　　"Not like a grampus you can't, and don't you forget it." Keggswagged his head reprovingly. "Well, so your Reggie Byng's gone andeloped, has he! That ought to teach you to be more careful anothertime 'ow you go gambling and plunging into sweepstakes. The idea ofa child of your age 'aving the audacity to thrust 'isself forwardlike that!""Don't call him my Reggie Byng! I didn't draw 'im!""There's no need to go into all that again, young feller. Youaccepted 'im freely and without prejudice when the fair exchangewas suggested, so for all practical intents and purposes he is yourReggie Byng. I 'ope you're going to send him a wedding-present.""Well, you ain't any better off than me, with all your 'ighwayrobbery!""My what!""You 'eard what I said.""Well, don't let me 'ear it again. The idea! If you 'ad anyobjections to parting with that ticket, you should have stated themclearly at the time. And what do you mean by saying I ain't anybetter off than you are?""I 'ave my reasons.""You think you 'ave, which is a very different thing. I suppose youimagine that you've put a stopper on a certain little affair bysurreptitiously destroying letters entrusted to you.""I never!" exclaimed Albert with a convulsive start that nearlysent eleven plates dashing to destruction.