e ugly face, to which he owed his first poor little morsel of
prosperity, became overclouded by care and doubt. Bursting into
expressions of gratitude which I had certainly not deserved--expressions,
so evidently sincere, that they bore witness to constant ill-usage
suffered in the course of his hard life--he left me with a headlong haste
of movement, driven away as I fancied by an unquiet mind.

I watched him retreating along the path, and saw him stop abruptly, still
with his back to me. His deep strong voice travelled farther than he
supposed. I heard him say to himself: "What an infernal rascal I am!" He
waited a little, and turned my way again. Slowly and reluctantly, he came
back to me. As he approached I saw the man, who had lived by the public
exhibition of his courage, looking at me with fear plainly visible in the
change of his color, and the expression of his face.

"Anything wrong?" I inquired.

"Nothing wrong, sir. Might I be so bold as to ask--"

We waited a little; I gave him time to collect his thoughts. Perhaps the
silence confused him. Anyhow, I was obliged to help him to get on.

"What do you wish to ask of me?" I said.

"I wished to speak, sir--"

He stopped again.

"About what?" I asked.

"About to-morrow evening."

"Well?"

He burst out with it, at last. "Are you coming to drink tea with my
master?"

"Of course, I am coming! Mr. Gloody, do you know that you rather surprise
me?"

"I hope no offence, sir."

"Nonsense! It seems odd, my good fellow, that your master shouldn't have
told you I was coming to drink tea with him. Isn't it your business to
get the things ready?"

He shifted from one foot to another, and looked as if he wished himself
out of my way. At a later time of my life, I have observed that these are
signs by which an honest man is apt to confess that he has told, or is
going to tell, a lie. As it was, I only noticed that he answered
confusedly.

"I can't quite say, Mr. Roylake, that my master didn't mention the thing
to me."

"But you failed to understand him--is that it?"

"Well, sir, if I want to ask him anything I have to write it. I'm slow at
writing, and bad at writing, and he isn't always patient. However, as you
reminded me just now, I have got to get the things ready. To cut it
short, perhaps I might say that I didn't quite expect the tea-party would
come off."

"Why shouldn't it come off?"

"Well, sir, you might have some other engagement."

Was