that, and early in the afternoon Faith and her husband
drove away together. It was almost the first time they had been out
without Peg since they came to live at the flat, and Forrester knew
quite well that it was only the desire to see her sisters that had
persuaded Faith to accompany him now.

He glanced down at her with a grim smile. She was looking better than
he had seen her since her mother's death. There was a flush in her
cheeks and her eyes were bright, but her thoughts were far away from
him, it seemed, for she started when he spoke to her.

"I've found out about your father," he began curtly. It was not in his
nature to be a tactician, and he knew that his blunt reference to the
trouble between them hurt her; but he went on doggedly:

"It's true enough. He failed owing to a syndicate formed by me, but, as
far as I can remember, I personally never heard his name or saw him." He
waited, surprised at himself because he was hoping so desperately for a
kind word or a little smile, but Faith only said "Yes," and kept her
eyes steadily ahead.

"If you understood business," he went on, "you'd see that I am not to
blame at all. Don't think I'm trying to shield myself, but I like fair
play."

"Yes," said Faith again. Then she added, with a little nervous tremble
in her voice, "I loved my father."

The Beggar Man laughed.

"And you don't love me, you mean! I'm quite aware of that."

She did not say any more, and they drove the rest of the way in silence.

The twins were playing in the school grounds when they reached the
house, and Faith paced up and down the drawing-room in a fever of
impatience while they were fetched. The head mistress was talking to
Forrester. She was sure the children were quite happy, she said. They
were certainly very good. "They were always good at home," Faith said,
passionately, forgetting how many times a day they had quarrelled and
slapped one another, and screamed and cried and nearly worried poor Mrs.
Ledley to death. But time had lent a glamour of glory to most things
now, and Faith could never think of her life at home without a dreary
feeling of heart-sickness.

And then the twins came, and she caught her breath with a cry of
wonderment, for she hardly recognized them in the healthy, well-dressed
children who came demurely forward, hand in hand.

"Darlings--oh, darlings!" said Faith.

She went down on her knees and put her arms round them, kissing them
rapturously.

"Y