rned, with her eyes full of happy tears,
towards Lady Scrope, who stood only a few paces off watching
everything with her accustomed intense scrutiny, and held out both
her hands in a sweet and simple gesture expressive of so much
feeling that the old dame felt an unwonted mist rising in her eyes.

"Tut, tut, tut, child! I want no thanks. What good did the gold do
me, thinkest thou, shut away in yonder box? What think you I had
preserved it there for? Marry that I might fling it away at dice or
cards with those who came to visit me? It was my pleasure money, as
I chose to call it. And then came the plague and smote hip and
thigh amongst those who called me friend. And what good did the
gold do me or any person else? If it pleases me to throw it away on
a pair of fools, whose business is that but mine?

"There, there, there, that will do, all of you good people. I want
to see the house. I want none of your fool's talk. Going to keep a
shop here?--sensible man. I'll come and buy all my finery when you
start business, and sit and gossip at the counter the while. So
mind you have plenty of fine folks to gossip with me. If I were
young again, I vow I'd keep a shop myself."

And she made Reuben show samples of his goods, which were piled up
in readiness, albeit he was not quite ready to open shop; and very
excellent of their kind they were, as Lady Scrope was not slow to
remark.

"I'll send the whole city to you. I'll make you the fashion yet. If
I were a younger woman, and had my own old train of gallants after
me, I'd have made your fortune for you before the year was out. But
I'll do something yet, you shall see. And mind that you never begin
to lend money, young man, to any needy young fool who may ask it of
you. Those greedy court gallants would eat up all the gold of the
Indies, and be no whit the richer for it. No money lending, young
man, for in that way lies ruin, as too many have found."

The Master Builder winced like one touched in a tender part, whilst
Reuben answered boldly:

"I have no such intentions. I hate usury, nor care I to earn money
for others to filch from me. I get my wealth by honest trade; and
if any man comes to me for aid, all the help I can give him is to
put him in the way of doing the like."

Lady Scrope nodded her head and laughed her shrill witch-like
laugh.

"He! he! he! Offer honest work to a needy gallant! May I be there
to hear when thou dost. Work, forsooth!--a turn at the gal