ths," whilst upon an adjacent door was painted
"Breibner, Importer of Pianofortes." She tried the handle of the
solicitor's door, to find that it was locked. She was wondering what
she should do when a tall, thin, podgy-faced man came in from the
court. Mavis instinctively guessed that he was Mr Napper.

"'Ave you been waiting long, madam?" he asked.

"I've just come. Are you Mr Napper?"

"It is. Everybody knows me."

"I've come from Miss Meakin."

"Today?" he asked, as his white face lit up.

"I've come straight from her."

"And after what I said at last night's 'light fantastic,' she has sent
you to me!" he cried excitedly, as he opened the door on which was
inscribed "Breibner."

"RE consultation, madam. If you will be good enough to step this way, I
shall be 'appy to take your instructions."

Mavis, despite her distress of mind, was not a little amused at this
alteration in Mr Napper's manner. She followed him into Mr Keating's
office, where she saw a very small office-boy, who, directly he set his
eyes on Mr Napper, made great pretence of being busy. She was shown
into an inner room, where she was offered an armchair. Upon taking it,
Mr Napper gravely seated himself at a desk and said:

"Mr Keating is un'appily absent. Any confidence made to me is the same
as made to 'im."

Mavis recited her trouble, of which Mr Napper put down the details.

When he had got these, Mavis waited in suspense. Mr Napper looked at
his watch.

"Do you think you can do anything?" Mavis asked.

"I'm going to do my best, quite as much for Miss Meakin's sake as for
the dignity of my profession," replied Mr Napper. "Please read through
this, and, if it is correct, kindly sign."

Here he handed Mavis a statement of all she had told him in respect of
her loss. After seeing that it was rightly set down, she signed "Mavis
Kenrick" at the foot of the document.

"Vincent!" cried Mr Napper, as Mavis handed it back.

"Yessur," answered the tiny office-boy smartly, as he made the most of
his height in the doorway.

"I am going out on important business."

"Yessur."

"I shan't be back for the best part of an hour."

"Yessur."

"If this lady cares to, she will wait till my return."

"Yessur."

Mr Napper dismissed Vincent and then turned to Mavis.

"If I may say so, I can see by your face that you're fond of
literature," he said.

"I like reading."

"Law and music is my 'obby, as you might say. The higher literature i