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tonight?"
    "No, dear. Mrs. Otley is entertaining his lordship until midnight; then we may all go home to our beds."
    "Oh, good. May I ask a favor? Will you remind me to look for the latest number of Fraser's tomorrow? The last installment—" Lady Beatrice broke off, and Mrs. Corvey turned her head, for both had heard the distinct chime that indicated the ascending room was coming back down with a passenger.
    "How curious," said Mrs. Corvey. "Generally the dining area closes at ten o'clock."
    "I'll take him," said Lady Beatrice, assuming her professional smile and seating herself on the divan.
    "Would you, dear? Miss Rendlesham had such a lot of cleaning up to do, after the duke left, that I gave her the rest of the evening off. You're very kind."
    "It is no trouble," Lady Beatrice assured her. The panel slid open and a gentleman emerged. He was bespectacled and balding, with the look of a senior bank clerk, and in fact carried a file case under his arm. He swept his gaze past Lady Beatrice, with no more than a perfunctory nod, focusing his attention on Mrs. Corvey.
    "Ma'am," he said.
    "Mr. Greene?" Mrs. Corvey rose to her feet. "What an unexpected pleasure, sir. And what, may one ask, is your pleasure?"
    "Not here on my own account," said Mr. Greene, going a little red. "Though, er, of course I should like to have the leisure to visit soon. Informally. You know. Hem. In any case, Ma'am, may we withdraw to your office? There is a matter I wish to discuss."
    >"Of course," said Mrs. Corvey.
    "I don't mind sitting up. Shall I watch for any late guests?" Lady Beatrice inquired of Mrs. Corvey. Mr. Greene turned and looked at her again, more closely now.
    "Ah. The new member. I knew your father, my dear. Please, join us. I think perhaps you ought to hear what I have to say as well."

    M R. GREEN, HAVING accepted a cup of cocoa in the inner office, drank, set it aside and cleared his throat.
    >"I don't suppose either of you has ever met Lord Basmond?"
    >"No indeed," said Mrs. Corvey.
    >"Nor have I," said Lady Beatrice.
    "Quite an old family. Estate in Hertfordshire. Present Lord, Arthur Rawdon, is twenty-six. Last of the line. Unmarried, did nothing much at Cambridge, lived in town until two years ago, when he returned to the family home and proceeded to borrow immense sums of money. Hasn't gambled; hasn't been spending it on a mistress; hasn't invested it. Has given out that he's making improvements on Basmond Hall, though why such inordinate amounts of rare earths should be required in home repair, to say nothing of such bulk quantities of some rather peculiar chemicals, is a mystery.
    "There were workmen on the property, housed there, and they won't talk and they can't be bribed to. The old gardener does visit the local public house, and was overheard to make disgruntled remarks about his lordship destroying the yew maze, but on being approached, declined to speak further on the subject."
    "What does it signify, Mr. Greene?" said Mrs. Corvey.
    "What indeed? The whole business came to our attention when he purchased the rare earths and chemicals; for, you know, we have men who watch the traffic in certain sorts of goods. When an individual exceeds a certain amount in purchases, we want to know the reason why. Makes us uneasy.
    "We set a man on it, of course. His reports indicate that Lord Basmond, despite his poor showing at university, nevertheless seems to have turned inventor. Seems to have made some sort of extraordinary discovery. Seems to have decided to keep it relatively secret. And most certainly has sent invitations to four millionaires, three of them foreign nationals I might add, inviting them to a private auction at Basmond Park."
    "He intends to sell it, then," said Lady Beatrice. "Whatever it is. And imagines he can get a great deal of money for it."
    "Indeed, miss," said Mr. Greene. "The latest report from our man is somewhat overdue; that, and the news of this auction (which came to us from another source) have us