It may be imagined that all this did not contribute much to the comfort of Lady Ongar.  They were now on the little pier at Yarmouth, and in five minutes every one there knew who she was, and knew also that there had been some disagreement between her and the little foreigner.  The eyes of the boatmen, and of the drivers, and of the other travellers, and of the natives going over to the market at Lymington, were all on her, and the eyes also of all the idlers of Yarmouth who had congregated there to watch the despatch of the early boat.  But she bore it well, seating herself, with her maid beside her, on one of the benches on the deck, and waiting there with patience till the boat should start.  Sophie once or twice muttered the word “disgrace!” but beyond that she remained silent.

They crossed over the little channel without a word, and without a word made their way up to the railway-station.  Lady Ongar had been too confused to get tickets for their journey at Yarmouth, but had paid on board the boat for the passage of the three persons—­herself, her maid, and Sophie.  But, at the station at Lymington, the more important business of taking tickets for the journey to London became necessary.  Lady Ongar had thought of this on her journey across the water, and, when at the railway-station, gave her purse to her maid, whispering her orders.  The girl took three first-class tickets, and then going gently up to Madam Gordeloup, offered one to that lady.  “Ah, yes; very well; I understand,” said Sophie, taking the ticket.  “I shall take this;” and she held the ticket up in her hand, as though she had some specially mysterious purpose in accepting it.

She got into the same carriage with Lady Ongar and her maid, but spoke no word on her journey up to London.  At Basingstoke she had a glass of sherry, for which Lady Ongar’s maid paid.  Lady Ongar had telegraphed for her carriage, which was waiting for her, but Sophie betook herself to a cab.  “Shall I pay the cabman, ma’am?” said the maid.  “Yes,” said Sophie, “or stop.  It will be half-a-crown.  You had better give me the half-crown.”  The maid did so, and in this way the careful Sophie added another shilling to her store—­over and above the twenty pounds—­knowing well that the fare to Mount Street was eighteenpence.

Chapter XXXV

Doodles In Mount Street

Captain Clavering and Captain Boodle had, as may be imagined, discussed at great length and with much frequency the results of the former captain’s negotiations with the Russian spy, and it had been declared strongly by the latter captain, and ultimately admitted by the former, that those results were not satisfactory.  Seventy pounds had been expended, and, so to say, nothing had been accomplished.  It was in vain that Archie, unwilling to have it thought that he had been worsted in diplomacy, argued that with these political personages, and especially with