Britt, with all his clever blustering, could elicit no information from the crafty head-servants.  All they would say was that the strange sahib had intercepted them on their way to the town, to ask if there were any rooms to rent in the chateau.

“That’s what he told you to say, isn’t it?” demanded Britt angrily.  “Confounded his impudence!  Rooms to rent!”

That evening he dragged the reluctant Saunders into the privacy of the hanging garden, and deliberately interrupted the game of bridge which was going on.  If Deppingham had any intention to resent the intrusion of the solicitors, he was forestalled by the startling announcement of Mr. Britt, who seldom stood on ceremony where duty was concerned.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said Mr. Britt, calmly dropping into a chair near by, “this place is full of spies.”

“Spies!” cried four voices in unison.  Mr. Saunders nodded a plaintive apology.

“Yes, sir, every native servant here is a spy.  That’s what the Enemy was here for to-day.  I’ve analysed the situation and I’m right.  Ain’t I, Mr. Saunders?  Of course, I am.  He came here to tell ’em what to do and how to report our affairs to him.  See?  Well, there you are.  We’ve simply got to be careful what we do and say in their presence.  Leave ’em to me.  Just be careful, that’s all.”

“I don’t intend to be watched by a band of sneaks—­” began Lord Deppingham loftily.

“You can’t help yourself,” interrupted Britt.

“I’ll discharge every demmed one of them, that’s—­”

“Leave ’em to me—­leave ’em to me,” exclaimed Britt impatiently.  His lordship stiffened but could find no words for instant use.  “Now let me tell you something.  This lawyer of theirs is a smooth party.  He’s here to look out for their interests and they know it.  It’s not to their interest to assassinate you or to do any open dirty work.  He is too clever for that.  I’ve found out from Mr. Bowles just what the fellow has done since he landed, three days ago.  He has gone over all of the company’s accounts, in the office and at the mines, to see that we, as agents for the executors, haven’t put up any job to mulct the natives out of their share of the profits.  He has organised the whole population into a sort of constabulary to protect itself against any shrewd move we may contemplate.  Moreover, he’s getting the evidence of everybody to prove that Skaggs and Wyckholme were men of sound mind up to the hour of their death.  He has the depositions of agents and dealers in Bombay, Aden, Suez and three or four European cities, all along that line.  He goes over the day’s business at the bank as often as we do as agents for the executors.  He knows just how many rubies and sapphires were washed out yesterday, and how much they weigh.  It’s our business, as your agents, to scrape up everything as far back as we can go to prove that the old chaps were mentally off their base when they drew up that agreement and will.  I think we’ve got a shade the best of it, even though the will looks good.  The impulse that prompted it was a crazy one in the first place.”  He hesitated a moment and then went on carefully.  “Of course, if we can prove that insanity has always run through the two families it—­”