t-t-t-tt--that's bad."

"I know it is. But we've had illness in the house, and expenses that we
had to meet."

"Bless me! Is the boy ill?"

"No; it's not Ted----" But as she tried to explain who it was she broke
down utterly, and burst into tears. Then uncle James took off his
spectacles and wiped them. He waited till she could speak coherently;
and when he had heard, he took his cheque-book out of his drawer, asking
no questions and making no comments--for which Katherine respected him.

"How much will clear you, Katherine, and see you to the end of this
business?"

"Twenty pounds would clear us; but----"

Uncle James looked very grave, and he wrote with a slow and terrible
deliberation. But he smiled lavishly as he handed her a cheque for a
hundred guineas. He had made it guineas.

"Remember, there's plenty more where that came from."

"I--I don't know how to thank you, uncle; we'll repay it gradually, with
the interest."

"Interest, indeed; you'll do nothing of the kind. And we won't say
anything about repayment either, this time. Only keep out of debt--keep
out of debt, and don't make a fool of yourself, Katherine."

Katherine hesitated, and her voice trembled. "I--I'm not----"

"No, I don't say you are. I ask no questions; and, Katherine!" he looked
up, but she was still standing beside him.

"Yes."

"Always come to me at once when you want money; and go to your aunt Kate
when you want advice. She'll help you better than I can, my dear."

"Thank you--thank you very much indeed. You are too good to me." She
stooped down and kissed him on the forehead, pressing his hand in hers,
and was gone before he could see her tears. Perhaps they would have
gratified him. But he was amply rewarded by her kiss and the compliment
paid him by his own conscience, which told him that he had not forced
his niece's confidence, as he might have done, nor yet chuckled, as he
might have done, over her fallen pride. It was a remarkable fulfilment
of prophecy, too.

When she got back to Devon Street, Vincent was asleep, with Mrs. Rogers
watching over him, and Ted was waiting for her to come to lunch. He
looked terribly depressed.

She showed him her cheque in silence.

"You never asked _him_, that stern old Puritan father?"

"Don't, Ted. Yes, I did. I thought it would kill me; but it didn't. Oh,
Ted, we _have_ done him an injustice. He was kindness itself. I had to
tell him about Vincent, too, and he never said a word