in the City. Our income would be
doubled.'

'Do you mean she would pay us L150 a year?'

'Certainly. And she would pay for the spare room being furnished, and
any extra she might want. She told me, specially, that if a friend or
two came now and again to see her, she would gladly bear the cost of a
fire in the drawing-room, and give something towards the gas bill, with
a few shillings for the girl for any additional trouble. We should
certainly be more than twice as well off as we are now. You see, Edward,
dear, it's not the sort of offer we are likely to have again. Besides,
we must think of the future, as I said. Do you know aunt took a great
fancy to you?'

He shuddered and said nothing, and his wife went on with her argument.

'And, you see, it isn't as if we should see so very much of her. She
will have her breakfast in bed, and she told me she would often go up to
her room in the evening directly after dinner. I thought that very nice
and considerate. She quite understands that we shouldn't like to have a
third person always with us. Don't you think, Edward, that, considering
everything, we ought to say we will have her?'

'Oh, I suppose so,' he groaned. 'As you say, it's a very good offer,
financially, and I am afraid it would be very imprudent to refuse. But I
don't like the notion, I confess.'

'I am so glad you agree with me, dear. Depend upon it, it won't be half
so bad as you think. And putting our own advantage on one side, we shall
really be doing poor aunt a very great kindness. Poor old dear, she
cried bitterly after you were gone; she said she had made up her mind
not to stay any longer in Uncle Robert's house, and she didn't know
where to go, or what would become of her, if we refused to take her in.
She quite broke down.'

'Well, well; we will try it for a year, anyhow. It may be as you say; we
shan't find it quite so bad as it seems now. Shall we go in?'

He stooped for his pipe, which lay as it had fallen, on the grass. He
could not find it, and lit a wax match which showed him the pipe, and
close beside it, under the seat, something that looked like a page torn
from a book. He wondered what it could be, and picked it up.

The gas was lit in the drawing-room, and Mrs. Darnell, who was arranging
some notepaper, wished to write at once to Mrs. Nixon, cordially
accepting her proposal, when she was startled by an exclamation from her
husband.

'What is the matter?' she said, startled by the