said "Good afternoon" and opened the door. The hall outside was empty,
but someone was descending the stairs in a great hurry. I descended
also. At the top step I glanced once more into the room I had just left.
Frances Strickland Morley--Little Frank--was seated in the chair, one
hand before her eyes. Her attitude expressed complete weariness and
utter collapse. She had said she was not sick, but she looked sick--she
did indeed.

Harriet, the slouchy maid, was not in evidence, so I opened the street
door for myself. As I reached the sidewalk--I suppose, as this was
England, I should call it the "pavement"--I was accosted by Mrs. Briggs.
She was out of breath; I am quite sure she had reached that pavement but
the moment before.

"'Ow is she?" demanded Mrs. Briggs.

"Who?" I asked, not too politely.

"That Morley one. Is she goin' to be hill again?"

"How do I know? Has she been sick--ill, I mean?"

"Huh! Hill! 'Er? Now, now, sir! I give you my word she's been hill
hever since she came 'ere. I thought one time she was goin' to die on my
'ands. And 'oo was to pay for 'er buryin', I'd like to know? That's w'at
it is! 'Oo's goin' to pay for 'er buryin' and the food she eats; to
say nothin' of 'er room money, and that's been owin' me for a matter of
three weeks?"

"How should I know who is going to pay for it? She will, I suppose."

"She! W'at with? She ain't got a bob to bless 'erself with, she ain't.
She's broke, stony broke. Honly for my kind 'eart she'd a been out on
the street afore this. That and 'er tellin' me she was expectin' money
from 'er rich friends in the States. You're from the States, ain't you,
sir?"

"Yes. But do you mean to tell me that Miss Morley has no money of her
own?"

"Of course I mean it. W'en she come 'ere she told me she was on the
stage. A hopera singer, she said she was. She 'ad money then, enough to
pay 'er way, she 'ad. She was expectin' to go with some troupe or other,
but she never 'as. Oh, them stage people! Don't I know 'em? Ain't I
'ad experience of 'em? A woman as 'as let lodgin's as long as me? If it
wasn't for them rich friends in the States I 'ave never put up with 'er
the way I 'ave. You're from the States, ain't you, sir?"

"Yes, yes, I'm from the States. Now, see here, Mrs. Briggs; I'm coming
back here to-morrow. If--Well, if Miss Morley needs anything, food or
medicines or anything, in the meantime, you see that she has them. I'll
pay you when I come."

Mrs. Brig