"Reginald Musgrave sat down opposite to me and lit the cigarette which I had pushed towards him.

'You must know,' said he, 'that though I am a bachelor, I have tokeep up a considerable staff of servants at Hurlstone, for it is a rambling old place and takes a good deal of looking after.

I preserve, too, and in the pheasant months I usually have a house-party, so that it would not do to be short-handed.

Altogether there are eight maids, the cook, the butler, two footmen, and a boy. The garden and the stables of course have a separate staff.

Of these servants the one who had been longest in our service was Brunton, the butler.

He was a young schoolmaster out of place when he was first taken up by my father, but he was a man of great energy and character, and he soon became quite invaluable in the household.

He was a well-grown, handsome man, with a splendid forehead, and though he has been with us for twenty years he cannot be more than forty now.

With his personal advantages and his extraordinary gifts -- for he can speak several languages and play nearly every musical instrument it is wonderful that he should have been satisfied so long in such a position, but I suppose that he was comfortable and lacked energy to make any change.

The butler of Hurlstone is always a thing that is remembered by all who visit us. But this paragon has one fault.

He is a bit of a Don Juan, and you can imagine that for a man like him it is not a very difficult part to play in a quiet country district.