ot be managed. However, we see each other as often as
possible, and she visits sometimes with me in my district. What has
made you so late, Phil?"

"I expected to have been here sooner, cousin," replied Phil, as he took
off his greatcoat, "but was delayed by my friend, George Aspel, who has
come to London with me to look after a situation that has been promised
him by Sir James Clubley, M.P. for I forget where. He's coming here
to-night."

"Who, Sir James Clubley?"

"No," returned the boy, laughing, "George Aspel. He went with Mr Blurt
to a hotel to see after a bed, and promised to come here to tea. I
asked him, knowing that you'd be glad to receive any intimate friend of
mine. Won't you, Coz?"

Miss Lillycrop expressed and felt great delight at the prospect of
meeting Phil's friend, but the smallest possible shade of anxiety was
mingled with the feeling as she glanced at her very small and not too
heavily-loaded table.

"Besides," continued Phil, "George is such a splendid fellow, and, as
maybe you remember, lived with us long ago. May will be glad to meet
him; and he saved Mr Blurt's life, so you see--"

"Saved Mr Blurt's life!" interrupted Miss Lillycrop.

"Yes, and he saved ever so many more people at the same time, who would
likely have been all lost if he hadn't swum off to 'em with the
rocket-line, and while he was doing that I ran off to call out the
lifeboat, an' didn't they get her out and launch her with a will--for
you see I had to run three miles, and though I went like the wind they
couldn't call out the men and launch her in a minute, you know; but
there was no delay. We were in good time, and saved the whole of 'em--
passengers and crew."

"So, then, _you_ had a hand in the saving of them," said Miss Lillycrop.

"Sure I had," said Phil with a flush of pleasure at the remembrance of
his share in the good work; "but I'd never have thought of the lifeboat,
I was so excited with what was going on, if George hadn't sent me off.
He was bursting with big thoughts, and as cool as a cucumber all the
time. I do hope he'll get a good situation here. It's in a large East
India house, I believe, with which Sir James Clubley is connected, and
Sir James was an old friend of George's father, and was very kind to him
in his last days, but they say he's a proud and touchy old fellow."

As Phil spoke, the door, which had a tendency to burst that evening,
opened quickly, though not so violently as befo