“Captain Booddle and me is very good friends,” said Sophie.  “He come to my house and behave himself very well; only he is not so handy a man as your brother, Sir ’Oo.”

Archie trembled, and he trembled still more when his brother, turning to him, asked him if he knew the woman.

“Yes, he know the woman very well,” said Sophie.  “Why do you not come any more to see me?  You send your little friend, but I like you better yourself.  You come again when you return, and all that shall be made right.”

But still she did not go.  She had now seated herself on a gun case which was resting on a portmanteau, and seemed to be at her ease.  The time was going fast, and Sir Hugh, if he meant to eat his chops, must eat them at once.

“See her out of the hall into the street,” he said to Archie; “and if she gives trouble, send for the police.  She has come here to get money from me by threats, and only that we have no time, I would have her taken to the lock-up house at once.”  Then Sir Hugh retreated into the dining-room and shut the door.

“Lock-up ’ouse!” said Sophie, scornfully.  “What is dat?”

“He means a prison,” said Doodles.

“Prison!  I know who is most likely to be in a prison.  Tell me of a prison!  Is he a minister of state that he can send out order for me to be made prisoner?  Is there lettres de cachet now in England?  I think not.  Prison, indeed!”

“But really, Madam Gordeloup, you had better go-you had, indeed,” said Archie.

“You too—­you bid me go?  Did I bid you go when you came to me?  Did I not tell you sit down?  Was I not polite?  Did I send for a police, or talk of lock-up ’ouse to you?  No.  It is English that do these things—­only English.”

Archie felt that it was incumbent on him to explain that his visit to her house had been made under other circumstances—­that he had brought money instead of seeking it; and had, in fact, gone to her simply in the way of her own trade.  He did begin some preliminaries to this explanation; but as the servant was there, and as his brother might come out from the dining-room, and as also he was aware that he could hardly tell the story much to his own advantage, he stopped abruptly, and, looking piteously at Doodles, implored him to take the lady away.

“Perhaps you wouldn’t mind just seeing her into Mount Street,” said Archie.

“Who—­I?” said Doodles, electrified.

“It is only just around the corner,” said Archie.

“Yes, Captain Booddle, we will go,” said Sophie.  “This is a bad house; and your Sir ’Oo—­I do not like him at all.  Lock-up, indeed!  I tell you he shall very soon be locked up himself.  There is what you call Davy’s locker.  I know—­yes.”

Doodles also trembled when he heard this anathema, and thought once more of the character of Jack Stuart and his yacht.

“Pray go with her,” said Archie.

“But I had come to see you off.”