conclude that my efforts amused. The great Demosthenes, sir,
practised declamation with his mouth full of pebbles--for retaliatory
purposes, I have sometimes thought."

Here my father, who had been paying no attention to Mr. Fett's
discourse, interrupted it with a sharp but joyful exclamation; and
glancing towards him I saw his face clear of anxiety.

"We are safe," he announced quietly, nodding in the direction of the
Three Cups. "What we wanted was a fool, and we have found him."



CHAPTER VIII.


TRIBULATIONS OF A MAYOR


"Like the Mayor of Falmouth, who thanked God when the Town Jail
was enlarged."--_Old Byword_.

His nod was levelled at a horseman who had ridden down the street and
was pressing upon the outskirts of the crowd: and this was no less a
dignitary than the Mayor of Falmouth, preceded on foot by a beadle
and two mace-bearers, all three of them shouting "Way! Make way for
the Mayor!" with such effect that in less than half a minute the
crowd had divided itself to form a lane for them.

"Eh? eh? What is this? What is the meaning of all this?" demanded