Gaythorne that she could not
leave home that afternoon, but to her surprise Dr. Luttrell objected to
this.

"You know how crotchety Mr. Gaythorne is," he said, quickly, "and it
will never do to disappoint him; he might be a bit touchy. Barton will
be all right, and I shall be in myself the greater part of the
afternoon." And then Olivia's scruples vanished.

She felt Marcus had been wise when she entered the library. Mr.
Gaythorne was evidently expecting her; he had a large portfolio open
before him. As he held out his hand to her without rising--for he had
still great difficulty in moving--there was a brighter look on his face.

"We must make the most of the daylight," he said, and the next moment
Olivia found herself in Venice.

The views were so beautiful and Mr. Gaythorne's descriptions so
interesting, that, as usual, the time passed quickly. It was not until
they were drinking their coffee in the pleasant firelight that Olivia
found an opportunity of narrating her husband's strange adventure of
the previous evening.

Mr. Gaythorne listened with his usual air of half contemptuous
amusement; but before she came to the end of the recital he turned upon
her quickly.

"Do you mean that the tramp is actually in your house at this moment?"
he asked, indignantly.

"Oh, please don't call him that; he is a gentleman, he speaks in quite
an educated manner, and his ways are so refined. Marcus saw that at
once."

"Pooh, nonsense! My dear Mrs. Luttrell, a gentlemanly tramp is the
worst kind; it is generally drink and profligacy that have dragged them
down. You will be robbed or burnt in your beds!"

Olivia could not conceal her amusement. A vivid remembrance of the
flushed, weary young face of the wanderer rose before her; it was so
boyish-looking with the fair hair and golden brown moustache.

"I am sure he does not drink," she returned, trying vainly to suppress
a smile; but this contradiction did not please Mr. Gaythorne.

"How can you know anything about it?" he asked, testily; "from your own
account he has told you nothing except that he has been in a hospital
and a casual ward--they have plenty of cases of delirium tremens in
both places. Good heavens! and I thought Dr. Luttrell was a sensible
man. This is the way he takes care of his wife and child, harbouring a
frozen-out tramp."

"Dear Mr. Gaythorne," returned Olivia, pleadingly, "just put yourself
in my husband's place. Marcus found the poor