of the family could not make the down-stairs room presentable. The interview was short, but satisfactory; so also was the one with Mrs. P

al, which led to anything real and personal. The Captain was rather twittery at lunch, at times inclined to talk too much, at times heavily silent and always obvious

a and her father had only just sat down to it when they heard Johnny Gillat's knock at the front door, followed a minute afterwards by Mr. Gillat himself; but when he saw that the Captain was not alone, he stopped on the threshold; Julia's pres

o it unobtrusively, he made some disturbance, but no one remarked on it; Captain Polkington because he was too despondent, Julia because it did not seem worth while. Conversation languished; Julia did what she could, but her father ans

illat," he said, "if you have finis

; Johnny turned uneasily as he heard her step behind him on the dark stairs; doubtless, so he told himself, she was going

asked, turning about in the doorway; "I'

"I want to talk to you," she said, closing the door. "You had much better tell me about it, you will be found out

"I should like to know of what you accuse m

of the horse-hair chairs to the table. "You would do better to tell me

that the old chair creaked ominously. Captain Polkington paced the rug once

went on; "I suppose you lost a

verwhelmed by his troubles. "How much?"

" that gentleman ans

e asked. "You couldn't, you know," bending her brows as sh

borrowed-that was it; of course I was go

gain, then the Captain explained confusedly: "The cheque-it c

que from Slade & Slade that mother was speaking of this morning. O

ty; "made out to me-my income that I have a perfect right t

t heretofore entered much into her considerations; consequences were what was really important to her-how the bad might be averted, how the good drawn that way, and all used to the best advantage. This point of

en she began to look round in her mind to see what might be done. Captain Polkington offered a few not very coherent explanations and excuses, to which she did not listen, and then rela

firmly wedged in his pocket. "We hoped, that is, we thought

kington interrupted with his own remedy, "We shall have to manag

at money was to have paid outstanding bills; we can't

aid; "it can be done with care

one is better for it; I feel a different man for having to retrench. Your mother's a wonderful woman"-he stopped, then added doubtfully as he thought of the l

t the contents on the table. There were some field-glasses, a breast pin, and a few othe

le," he said, regarding

ulia asked

utcher's bill. It's a great thing to have the butcher's bill paid; I've heard my landlady say s

so that he felt very guilty, and as if he ought to excuse himself. But before he could d

y n

on't have it.

it would indeed; they would fetch something, the glasses

k the matter into her own hands, and began wit

ewildered. "I can-what an idea," he laughed. "What do I want wit

e parcel firmly, then she gave it to him. "Take i

sal, meekly followed her from the room. When they had reached the hall abo

our shifts, but we haven't quite come to depriving you. Johnny"-and she stretched out a hand to him, a thing which was rare, for no one thought it

deepened to something more he was altogether at a loss to understand. Bu

self again, "and don't you let m

ow will you manag

s already; I'm better at this sor

on him; then she went ba

if you have borrowed any other money? It would

ent irrelevance, "is such an unreasonable woman; if she were like you-if she saw things sensibly. But she

reed. "Will you tell me if you l

k of yesterday; I have borrowed a little now and a

m wh

son-

a superior position, so much so that for a moment Julia was at a loss to understand how he came to accommodate her father. Then she recalled his face-he had been pointed out to her-he looked a good-natured fool; probably he had met the Captain somewhere and been sorry for

; but under the present circumstances she would have to go. For Violet it was not quite so easy; it would look rather odd for her to go visiting among obliging relatives, seeing that she was only just engaged-how things looked was a point the Polkingtons always considered. But it would have to be managed; Julia fancied something might be

ndow to remedy the omission, and so saw in the street below the young man who, with the debt owing to him, she had lately dismissed from her mind. There was a street lamp directly below the window, and she stood a moment by the curtain looking down. Mr. Rawson-Clew was riding past, but slowly; it was quite possible to see his face, which did not contradict her former opinion-good-natured but foolish, and possibly weak.

asked for Captain Polkington. Julia, hearing the knock, and the visitor subsequently being ushered into the d

wer; "it's another gent

nd was alert for

awson-

he's a grand sort of gentleman; I hardly liked to put him in the dining-room,

ave been reckoned a safe order, for no one bu

done right,

s much from intuition as from experience. In the hall she stood a minute. The dining-room door did not shut too well, the lock was old and worn, and unless it was fastened carefully, it came open; the Captain never managed to fasten it, an

that your cousin lent-accom

etely, and then anothe

a soldier, sir, a soldier and a gentleman-at leas

l wings and protect her helpless belongings (old equally as much as young

aid, "is anythi

ether and dismissing his daughter with a lie. But he did not do it; he was too shaken to think quickly, also there was a sense of reinfor

ey Mr. Rawson-Clew l

caused by her entrance showed only in the rather hard eyes; the straight figure, even the perfection of his tailoring and the style of his boots-she summed it all up with the rapidity of one who has had to depend on her wits before. And her wits were to be depended on, for, in spite of the warmth of her prot

Certainly not," he answer

er," he bleated, now thoroughly throwing himself on his daughter's protection; "his intention

were going to say," she inquired serenely of R

I only meant to suggest that this is perha

is unpleasant," she said; "for that reason had we not better get it over qu

ed; if so, he will no doubt tell you anything you wish to know. Good afternoon,"

e tried to get anything more in future it was you with whom he would have to deal. And the money-you were going to say the money was not wh

misunderstanding there may have been," he said. "I trust you will

ite request to mind her own business, and she went up to her room after he had gone almost unjustly ang

ying did not much matter. We are, as we looked to him, two grubby little people of doubtful honesty, in a grubby room with Bouquet," and she laughed outright, although she was alone, and the faculty for seeing and

on-Clew she found, a sort of recognition of the discharge of the debt, or at least a formal cancelling of it. It was carefully and conclusively worded, certainly not the unaided work of the young man who had ridden past last night. It was dictated by the other, she was sure of it; possibly even he had himself discharged the debt so

he can't go back on it if he wants to." He took it from her, and began to piece it together. "I can look the world in the face again," he said, adm

pect; it is a virtue that has a tendency to atrophy. Julia recognised this with something like personal shame. "Your debt is discharged," s

, as he put them away in an envelope, but he did not wait for her answer. "It was very heedless of you to te