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'You ride with me, my lad.'

'Aye, aye! We'd best be going,' said Cheney, who seemed to have no mind of his own.

'Indeed, I think that's best,' agreed his lordship. He turned to his secretary. 'Innes, let them have ten guineas apiece.'

But Williams recoiled. 'My lord!' There was deep injury in his tone.

'Why, what the devil!' His lordship stared at him.

'I'm a spy, my lord. I don't mince words. I'm a spy, and I glory in it. But I don't take money for it. I do it as a duty and for the sake of the entertainment it affords me.'

Looking into those humorous, dare-devil blue eyes of his, Lord William found no difficulty in believing the preposterous statement.

'Egad, Mr. Williams,' said Captain Mandeville, 'ye've an odd sense of humour.'

'I have. Haven't I, Cheney?'

'It's a fact,' said Cheney, who was opening a receptive palm to the gold Mr. Innes poured into it.

Thereupon they took their leave, and Lord William wearily resumed his place on the couch. 'An interesting, attractive fellow that,' he said, feeling for his snuff-box. 'It's the first time I've found it possible to talk to a spy without feeling nauseated. But then he's not really a spy. He had very little to tell us, after all.'