, when I received
your letter, I had just eighteen-pence, and at once I made a resolution
to come and see you; on that sum I 've done the journey. My strength is
nearly at an end."

Shelton stroked his chin.

"Well," he had just begun, "we must think it over," when by Ferrand's
face he saw that some one had come in. He turned, and saw Antonia in the
doorway. "Excuse me," he stammered, and, going to Antonia, drew her from
the room.

With a smile she said at once: "It's the young foreigner; I'm certain.
Oh, what fun!"

"Yes," answered Shelton slowly; "he's come to see me about getting some
sort of tutorship or other. Do you think your mother would mind if I
took him up to have a wash? He's had a longish walk. And might he have
some breakfast? He must be hungry."

"Of course! I'll tell Dobson. Shall I speak to mother? He looks nice,
Dick."

He gave her a grateful, furtive look, and went back to his guest; an
impulse had made him hide from her the true condition of affairs.

Ferrand was standing where he had been left his face still clothed in
mordant impassivity.

"Come up to my room!" said Shelton; and while his guest was washing,
brushing, and otherwise embellishing his person, he stood reflecting
that Ferrand was by no means unpresentable, and he felt quite grateful
to him.

He took an opportunity, when the young man's back was turned, of
examining his counterfoils. There was no record, naturally, of a cheque
drawn in Ferrand's favour. Shelton felt more mean than ever.

A message came from Mrs. Dennant; so he took the traveller to the
dining-room and left him there, while he himself went to the lady of the
house. He met Antonia coming down.

"How many days did you say he went without food that time--you know?"
she asked in passing.

"Four."

"He does n't look a bit common, Dick."

Shelton gazed at her dubiously.

"They're surely not going to make a show of him!" he thought.

Mrs. Dennant was writing, in a dark-blue dress starred over with white
spots, whose fine lawn collar was threaded with black velvet.

"Have you seen the new hybrid Algy's brought me back from Kidstone? Is
n't it charmin'?" and she bent her face towards this perfect rose. "They
say unique; I'm awfully interested to find out if that's true. I've told
Algy I really must have some."

Shelton thought of the unique hybrid breakfasting downstairs; he wished
that Mrs. Dennant would show in him the interest she had manifested in
the