y brother-in-law wishes to see you, sir. He's in trouble again--lost
his place at Boxon's a few days ago. I don't exac'ly know how it
happened, but he'll explain everything. He's very unfortunate, sir, is
Allchin."

"Tell him to come before nine to-morrow morning, if he can."

"Yes, sir. I'm sure it's very kind of you, sir."

"What else?"

"Nothing as I can think of just now, sir."

Warburton knew from the woman's way of speaking that she had something
still in her mind; but his pipe being well lit, and a pleasant
lassitude creeping over him, he merely nodded. Mrs. Hopper cleared the
table, and withdrew.

The window looked across the gardens of Chelsea Hospital (old-time
Ranelagh) to the westward reach of the river, beyond which lay
Battersea Park, with its lawns and foliage. A beam of the July sunset
struck suddenly through the room. Warburton was aware of it with
half-closed eyes; he wished to stir himself, and look forth, but
languor held his limbs, and wreathing tobacco-smoke kept his thoughts
among the mountains. He might have quite dozed off had not a sudden
noise from within aroused him--the unmistakable crash of falling
crockery. It made him laugh, a laugh of humorous expostulation. A
minute or two passed, then came a timid tap at his door, and Mrs.
Hopper showed her face.

"Another accident, sir, I'm sorry to say," were her faltering words.

"Extensive?"

"A dish and two plates, I'm sorry to say, sir."

"Oh, that's nothing."

"Of course I shall make them good, sir."

"Pooh! Aren't there plates enough?"

"Oh, quite enough--just yet, sir."

Warburton subdued a chuckle, and looked with friendly smile at his
domestic, who stood squeezing herself between the edge of the door and
the jamb--her habit when embarrassed. Mrs. Hopper had served him for
three years; he knew all her weaknesses, but thought more of her
virtues, chief of which were honest intention and a moderate aptitude
for plain cooking. A glance about this room would have proved to any
visitor that Mrs. Hopper's ideas of cleanliness were by no means rigid,
her master had made himself to a certain extent responsible for this
defect; he paid little attention to dust, provided that things were in
their wonted order. Mrs. Hopper was not a resident domestic; she came
at stated hours. Obviously a widow, she had a poor, loose-hung,
trailing little body, which no nourishment could plump or fortify. Her
visage was habitually doleful, but contrac