y the heels? Why didn't he go
to his father and uncle to begin with, and get them to make this
arrangement they have now, and then have gone to the chief clerk and
showed him that there was no objection anywhere----'

'It was because you were all against him,' said poor Madge, beginning
to cry. 'Everybody--everybody. And now he may be shut up there for a
whole year--or two years----'

'Oh, but he isn't so badly off,' said Mr. Tom, soothingly. 'You can
see they treat him very well. By Jingo, if it was the treadmill,
now--that would exercise his toes for him. I tried it once in York
Castle; and I can tell you when you find this thing pawing at you over
your head it's like an elephant having a game with you. Never mind,
Madge. Don't cry. Look here; I'll bet you five sovereigns to one that
they let him out on the next application--that's for Thursday. Are you
on?'

'Do you mean it?' she said, looking up.

'I do.'

It was wonderful how quickly the light came into her face.

'Then there is a chance?' she said. 'I can't believe the others; for
they are only trying to comfort me. But if you would bet on it,
Tom--then there's really a chance.'

'Bet's off. You should have snapped at it, Madge. Never mind, you'll
have your dear Jack: that'll do instead.'

That afternoon Mary Beresford, now Mrs. Rupert, called, and Mr. Tom,
with much dignity of manner, came into the room holding an open letter
in his hand,

'Ladies and gentlemen,' he said, 'and friends assembled, I have a piece
of news for you. Mr. Francis Holford King, late Commander in Her
Majesty's Navy, has just contracted a--what d'ye call it?--kind of
engagement with Miss Anne Beresford of that ilk. It strikes me this is
what is termed consolation-stakes----'

'There you are quite wrong,' said Madge, promptly and cheerfully. 'He
meant to make me the consolation-stakes: for it was Nan that he wanted
to marry all the way through.'

'Well, I shall be glad to see you all married,' said Tom. 'I've had
enough bother with you.'

'You look quite worn out,' his eldest sister remarked.

'At least,' he said, sitting down in an easy-chair and stretching out
his legs, 'at least I have gained some wisdom. I see the puzzlement
you girls are in who haven't got to earn your own living. You don't
know what on earth to do with yourselves. You read Ruskin, and think
you should be earnest; but you don't know what to be earnest about.
Then you take to improv