I don't just remember why I started in to help
Tompkins, but I did. Somehow, sir, Mr. Shaw got--"
"Don't call him _Mr_. Shaw. Just Shaw; he's no gentleman," exploded
Lord Bazelhurst.
"But he told us both to call him 'Mister,' sir, as long as we lived.
I kinder got in the habit of it, your lordship, up there. That is,
that's what he told us after he got through with us. Well, anyhow, he
got the start of us an'--there's Tompkins' eyes, sir, and look at my
ear. Then he pitched us both in the river."
"Good Lord!" gasped the duke.
"Diable!" sputtered the count.
"Splendid!" cried Penelope, her eyes sparkling.
"Hang it all, Pen, don't interrupt the count," snorted Bazelhurst, for
want of something better to say and perhaps hoping that Deveaux might
say in French what could not be uttered in English.
"Don't say it in French, count," said little Miss Folsom. "It deserves
English."
"Go on, James," sternly, from Lady Bazelhurst.
"Well, neither of us can swim, your ladyship, an' we'd 'a' drowned if
Mr.--if Shaw hadn't jumped in himself an' pulled us out. As it was,
sir, Tompkins was unconscious. We rolled him on a log, sir, an' got a
keg of water out of him. Then Mr.--er--Shaw told us to go 'ome and get
in bed, sir."
"He sent a message to you, sir," added Tompkins, shivering mightily.
"Well, I'll have one for him, never fear," said his lordship, glancing
about bravely. "I won't permit any man to assault my servants and
brutally maltreat them.
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