ir the studio afforded; Mrs. Rogers was sent for cakes and cream at a
moment's notice; and the resources of the tiny household were taxed to
their utmost to do honour to the returned emigrant. Even Ted forgot his
gloom for the time being, and took his part in these hospitable rites.
Then came the question of Hardy's lodgings. Mrs. Rogers was consulted,
and, being unable to name any landlady of greater respectability than
herself, and her ground-floor happening to be to let--the rarest thing
in the world for her--she suggested that "the gentleman should try it
for a week or two, till 'e could suit 'isself elsewhere. But, though I
sy it as shouldn't, when a gentleman comes to me, sir, 'e wants to sty.
My larst gentleman, 'e'd a styd with me till 'e was took awy in 'is
coffin if I'd a kep' 'im; but Lor' bless you, my dear, 'e was that
pertic'ler I couldn't do with 'is fads, not at fancy prices, I couldn't.
I 'ad to tell 'im to gow, for Mussy's syke, where 'e'd git 'is own
French cook, and 'is own butler to black 'is 'arf-doz'n pyre o' boots
all at once for 'im." This was the recognised fiction by which Mrs.
Rogers accounted for the departure of any of her lodgers. Lest it should
seem to speak badly for her willingness and for the quality of the
attendance at No. 12, she invariably added, "Not but wot I'd work my
'ead orf to please any gentleman that _is_ a gentleman; and when you've
eaten one of my dinners, sir, you won't want nobody else to cook and do
for you no more." And though Ted had pointed out to her the sinister
ambiguity of this formula, she had never invented any other.

The ground-floor was seen; and after Mrs. Rogers, on her part, had
stipulated for cold lunches three days in the week, and not more than
one bath in the one day; and after Katherine, on Hardy's part, had
suggested sundry innovations, involving the condemnation of all the
pictures and ornaments she could lay her hands on,--a piece of
sacrilege which Mrs. Rogers regarded more in sorrow than in anger, as
indicating a pitiable aberration of intellect,--the rooms were taken
from that date.

Was it Chance, or Necessity, or Providence, that caused Ted and Hardy to
meet at the parting of the ways?--that waked Ted from the dream of
self-destruction, and lodged Hardy under the same roof with Katherine
Haviland?

His arrangements completed, Hardy hurried off again to Chelsea. Audrey,
he thought, had expected him by a later train, and would be back by six