hen he is so, let him return here. It were best that he
should come this evening, for it is likely that I shall be away on duty
tomorrow."

"He shall be here, sir," he said, "and I thank you heartily for engaging
him; and I do think that he means this time to behave himself."

"I do mean it," the boy said. "You shall have no reason to complain of
me, sir."

Shortly afterwards Hector met the officer who had spoken of the boy.

"Well, have you thought anything more of young ne'er-do-well?"

"I have engaged him."

"You have, after the warning I gave you? Well, I hope you will not have
reason to repent it."

"I do not think that I shall. I can quite believe that he is a
mischievous young varlet, he shows it in his face; but I am sure that he
is shrewd, and I believe that he will be faithful. At any rate I think
that we took to each other, and that he has made up his mind to try for
once to stay in a place. He really seemed in earnest about it, and if
he keeps to his promises I think that he will be just the sort of lad to
suit me."

"Well, we shall see," the officer said; "but if he turns out badly,
please remember that I warned you against him."

"And if he turns out well," Hector said with a laugh, "I shall not fail
also to remind you of your prognostications."

That evening when Hector returned to his room after he had finished his
meal, he found Paolo waiting outside his door. His appearance had so
changed that he would not have known him. His hair had been cut short
in the front and left long behind, as was the custom of the day, hanging
down on to his collar. He was neat and tidy. He wore a dark blue doublet
reaching to the hips, with a buff leather belt, in which was stuck a
dagger. His leggings, fitting tightly down to the ankles, were of dark
maroon cloth, and he wore short boots of tanned leather. A plain white
collar, some four inches deep, was worn turned down over the neck of the
doublet, and a yellow cloth cap, with a dark cock's feather, was stuck
on one side of his head. In his hand he held a bundle containing a
leather jerkin and breeches of the same material, and a pair of buff
leather riding boots that would reach to the knee.

"Your brother has laid out the money well, Paolo," Hector said, as he
opened the door and led the way into his room. "I do not think that I
should have known you."

"I am quite sure that I should not have known myself, master, if I had
looked into a horse trough and