oy, who was about twelve years old,
was as good a specimen of a well-trained, well-nurtured boy as one
might find in the country, the product of generations of careful
selection and high ideals, active, brimming over with vitality and
joyousness, with clear-cut features perhaps a trifle too pronounced
for his age. But the elder of the two, who was twenty-one and might by
appearance have been some few years older, was a far stronger type.
There was a certain steady strength in the set of his square head, in
the straight look of his dark eyes. It was a face that might in time
be over-stern if the kindly humorous lines of the mouth should fade.
The tramp woman saw nothing of this. She only observed their
absorption in each other and abandoned hope of adding to her meagre
fortune.

Max Aston's quick blue eyes saw her and were averted instantly, for
she was not a pleasing object. But at sight of her the shadow of some
dominant thought drove every expression from his companion's face but
pity: and the pity of the strong for the weak lies near to reverence.

He crossed the road abruptly, his hand in his pocket. Max dawdled
after him. The woman looked up with awakened interest.

"It's a long road, kind sir, and poor weather," she began in a
professional drawl, and then stopped. The young face looking down on
her had something in its expression to which she was not accustomed.
It was as if he checked her begging for very shame. She noticed dully,
he held his cap in his hand.

He said nothing at all, but dropped a coin in her hand and went on,
followed by Max, who was a little puzzled.

The woman looked after them and forgot she had not thanked him. She
wished the moment would repeat itself and the young gentleman stand
before her again. She had not taken it all in--taken _what_ in, she
hardly knew.

She looked at the coin and it gleamed yellow in her hand. It was half
a sovereign. Oh, what luck, what luck! It was a mistake of course--he
had thought it was a sixpence no doubt, but he had gone, and she had
it.

A vista of unlikely comforts opened before her, even the hat with red
flowers was possible. It was careless of him though.

She got up suddenly and looked down the hill. The two were still in
sight--the boy had stopped to tie his boot-lace.

She looked at the half-sovereign again, and then set off at a
shuffling slipshod trot after them. They had resumed their walk before
she reached them, but the boy looking ba