seen anything of Bollingtons since, and I don't want to.'

'That is where you are going to yourself, sir,' thundered Mr. Knight.
'Mark my words. That is where you are going to yourself. Two guineas a
week, at your age, and you tell them----! I suppose you think you can
get a place like that any day.'

'Look here, uncle. Listen. Mark my words. I have two to say to you, and
two only. Good-morning.'

Tom hastened from the room, and went down into the shop by the
shop-stairs. The cashier of the establishment was opening the safe.

'Mr. Perkins,' said Tom lightly, 'uncle wants change for a ten-pound
note, in gold.'

'Certainly, Mr. Tom. With pleasure.'

'Oh!' Tom explained, as though the notion had just struck him, taking
the sovereigns, 'the note! I'll bring it down in a jiffy.'

'That's all right, Mr. Tom,' said the cashier, smiling with suave
confidence.

Tom ran up to his room, passing his uncle on the way. He snatched his
hat and stick, and descended rapidly into the street by the
house-stairs. He chose this effective and picturesque method of
departing for ever from the hearth and home of Mr. Knight.

CHAPTER VII

CONTAGIOUS

'There's only the one slipper here,' said Aunt Annie, feeling in the
embroidered slipper-bag which depended from a glittering brass nail in
the recess to the right of the fireplace. And this fireplace was on the
ground-floor, and not in Oxford Street.

'I was mending the other this morning,' said Mrs. Knight, springing up
with all her excessive stoutness from the easy-chair. 'I left it in my
work-basket, I do believe.'

'I'll get it,' said Aunt Annie.

'No, I'll get it,' said Mrs. Knight.

So it occurred that Aunt Annie laid the left slipper (sole upwards) in
front of the brisk red fire, while Mrs. Knight laid the right one.

Then the servant entered the dining-room--a little simple fat thing of
sixteen or so, proud of her cap and apron and her black afternoon dress.
She was breathing quickly.

'Please'm, Dr. Dancer says he'll come at nine o'clock, or as soon after
as makes no matter.'

In delivering the message the servant gave a shrewd, comprehending,
sympathetic smile, as if to say: 'I am just as excited about your plot
as you are.'

'Thank you, Sarah. That will do.' Aunt Annie dismissed her frigidly.

'Yes'm.'

Sarah's departing face fell to humility, and it said now: 'I'm sorry I
presumed to be as excited about your plot as you are.'

The two sisters look