he best I could for him,' she exclaimed.

'I am certain of that,' he continued; 'but, anyhow, I made inquiries,
and, after some difficulty, succeeded in discovering your address.
Perhaps,' he added, glancing in my direction, 'you would not mind
sparing me a few minutes alone.'

To my great disgust, she told me to run away, so that I returned to the
damp passage, which was now deserted by Jane. After waiting there what
seemed a long time, I saw Captain Knowlton on the stairs. After bidding
me good-bye, he let himself out of the house.

'Aunt Marion!' I cried, before there was time to reach the sitting-room,
'he says that Father saved his life!'

'Well, Jack, he said what was quite true.'

'But,' I continued, 'why did Captain Knowlton call father "poor Frank
Everard?" Was he really poor?'

Aunt Marion sighed before she answered.

'Goodness knows, he ought not to have been,' she said. 'Your father had
a lot of money when he came of age, but he was foolish enough to spend
it all, and the consequence was that nothing remained for your mother,
or for you when she died.'

'Hasn't Captain Knowlton any money either?' I asked.

'He has lately come into a large fortune,' she said; and then she told
me that he had promised to come again at the same hour to-morrow
morning, and take me out with him.

Captain Knowlton seemed so satisfactory in every way that the mere
prospect of walking in the street by his side was enticing. I lay awake
that night a long time, wondering where he would take me.

When I awoke the next morning, Aunt Marion said I was to put on my best
clothes (which were nothing to boast of), and insisted on washing me
herself, putting a quantity of soap into my eyes, oiling my hair, and,
in short, doing her best in readiness for Captain Knowlton's arrival.

'Well, Jack, are you ready?' he asked, as he entered our room.

'Rather!' I answered.

'Have you got a handkerchief?' said Aunt Marion, and I drew it from my
jacket as proof.

'Come along, then,' cried Captain Knowlton, and I rejoiced to see that
he had kept his hansom at the door.

The first stoppage on that eventful morning was at the hair-dresser's,
where I sat in a high chair, enveloped in a loose cotton wrapper, while
Captain Knowlton smoked a cigarette and a man cut my hair, after which
we went to a tailor's, where I was measured for two suits of clothes.
Having visited a hatter's and a hosier's in turn, we entered a large
restaurant, sitti