George was puzzled.

“Your services?”

“Precisely, sir.  I fancy I am in a position to lend you what might be termed an ’elping ’and.”

“But that’s remarkably altruistic of you, isn’t it?”

“Sir?”

“I say that is very generous of you.  Aren’t you forgetting that you drew Mr. Byng?”

The butler smiled indulgently.

“You are not quite abreast of the progress of events, sir.  Since the original drawing of names, there ’as been a trifling hadjustment.  The boy Albert now ’as Mr. Byng and I ’ave you, sir.  A little amicable arrangement informally conducted in the scullery on the night of the ball.”

“Amicable?”

“On my part, entirely so.”

George began to understand certain things that had been perplexing to him.

“Then all this while. . .?”

“Precisely, sir.  All this while ’er ladyship, under the impression that the boy Albert was devoted to ’er cause, has no doubt been placing a misguided confidence in ’im . . .  The little blighter!” said Keggs, abandoning for a moment his company manners and permitting vehemence to take the place of polish.  “I beg your pardon for the expression, sir,” he added gracefully.  “It escaped me inadvertently.”

“You think that Lady Maud gave Albert a letter to give to me, and that he destroyed it?”

“Such, I should imagine, must undoubtedly have been the case.  The boy ’as no scruples, no scruples whatsoever.”

“Good Lord!”

“I appreciate your consternation, sir.”

“That must be exactly what has happened.”

“To my way of thinking there is no doubt of it.  It was for that reason that I ventured to come ’ere.  In the ’ope that I might be hinstrumental in arranging a meeting.”

The strong distaste which George had had for plotting with this overfed menial began to wane.  It might be undignified, he told himself but it was undeniably practical.  And, after all, a man who has plotted with page-boys has little dignity to lose by plotting with butlers.  He brightened up.  If it meant seeing Maud again he was prepared to waive the decencies.

“What do you suggest?” he said.

“It being a rainy evening and everyone indoors playing games and what not,”—­Keggs was amiably tolerant of the recreations of the aristocracy—­“you would experience little chance of a hinterruption, were you to proceed to the lane outside the heast entrance of the castle grounds and wait there.  You will find in the field at the roadside a small disused barn only a short way from the gates, where you would be sheltered from the rain.  In the meantime, I would hinform ’er ladyship of your movements, and no doubt it would be possible for ’er to slip off.”

“It sounds all right.”

“It is all right, sir.  The chances of a hinterruption may be said to be reduced to a minimum.  Shall we say in one hour’s time?”