ld fellow has scarcely spoken since he left the house. So there
he is, left with the feeble old wife, and the half-witted son, who grows
queerer and madder than ever. I needn't say the woman was very
grateful--"

"Don't!" said Tatham; "it's a beastly world."

They moved on in silence, till Undershaw resumed:

"Dixon came to the surgery this afternoon, and I understood from him that
he thinks Melrose is breaking up fast. He tries to live as usual; and his
temper is appalling. But Dixon sees a great change."

"Well, it'll scarcely be possible to say that his decease 'cast a gloom
over the countryside.' Will it?" laughed Tatham.

"What'll Faversham do? That's what I keep asking myself."

"Do? Why, go off with the shekels, and be damned to us! I understand that
just at present he's paying rather high for them, which is some
satisfaction. That creature Nash told one of our men the other day that
Melrose now treats him like dirt, and finds his chief amusement in
stopping anything he wants to do."

"Then he'd better look sharp after the will," said Undershaw, with a
smile. "Melrose is game for any number of tricks yet. But I don't judge
Faversham quite as you do. I believe he has all sorts of grand ideas in
his head about what he'll do when he comes in."

"I daresay! You need 'em when you begin with taking soiled money. Mrs.
Melrose got the quarterly payment of her allowance yesterday, from an
Italian bank--twenty-five pounds minus ten pounds, which seems to be
mortgaged in some way. Melrose's solicitors gracefully let her know
that the allowance was raised by twenty pounds! On fifteen pounds
therefore she and the girl are expected to exist for the quarter--_and_
support the old father. And yesterday just after my mother had shown me
the check, I saw Faversham in Pengarth, driving a Rolls-Royce car,
brand-new, with a dark fellow beside him whom I know quite well as a
Bond Street dealer. I conclude Faversham was taking him to see the
collections--_his_ collections!"

"It looks ugly I grant. But I believe he'll provide for the girl as soon
as he can."

"And I hope she'll refuse it!" cried Tatham. "And I believe she will.
She's a girl of spirit. She talks of going on the stage. My mother has
found out that she's got a voice, and she dances divinely. My mother's
actually got a teacher for her from London, whom we put up in the
village."

"A lovely little girl!" said Undershaw. "And she's getting over her
hardships. B