You appear to us to be suitable." "It is a wonderful offer!" I exclaimed.
"In a sense it is," Lord Cheisford continued.

"The remuneration, of course, will be high, but the post itself may not be a permanency, and you will live all the time at high pressure.

The Duke will place a small house at your disposal, and it will be required that you form no new acquaintances without reference to him, nor must you leave this place on any account without permission.

You will virtually be a prisoner, and if certain of my suspicions are correct you may even find the post one of great physical danger.

On the other hand, you will have a thousand a year salary, and a sum of five thousand pounds in two years' time if all is well." Excitement seemed to have steadied my nerves.