rden, whilst her
husband smoked his pipe and looked on in the old comfortable way.
They already felt that domestic life was not quite the same with a
stranger to share it. Doubtless they would get used to the new
restraints; but Miss Derrick must not expect them to disorganise
their mealtimes on her account. Promptly at half-past seven they sat
down to dine, and had just risen from the table, when Louise
appeared.

She was in excellent spirits, without a trace of the morning's
ill-humour. No apologies! If she didn't feel quite free to come and
go, without putting people out, there would be no comfort in life. A
slice of the joint, that was all she wanted, and she would have done
in a few minutes.

'I've taken tickets for Toole's Theatre on Monday night. You must
both come. You can, can't you?'

Mumford and his wife glanced at each other. Yes, they could go; it
was very kind of Miss Derrick; but--

'That's all right, it'll be jolly. The idea struck me in the train,
as I was going up; so I took a cab from Victoria and booked the
places first thing. Third row from the front, dress circle; the best
I could do. Please let me have my dinner alone. Mrs. Mumford, I want
to tell you something afterwards.'

Clarence went round to see his friend Fentiman, with whom he usually
had a chat on Saturday evening. Emmeline was soon joined by the
guest in the drawing-room.

'There, you may read that,' said Louise, holding out a letter. 'It's
from Mr. Cobb; came yesterday, but I didn't care to talk about it
then. Yes, please read it; I want you to.'

Reluctantly, but with curiosity, Emmeline glanced over the sheet.
Mr. Cobb wrote in ignorance of Miss Derrick's having left home. It
was a plain, formal letter, giving a brief account of his doings in
Ireland, and making a request that Louise would meet him, if
possible, on Streatham Common, at three o'clock on Saturday
afternoon. And he signed himself--'Very sincerely yours.'

'I made up my mind at once,' said the girl, 'that I wouldn't meet
him. That kind of thing will have to stop. I'm not going to think
any more of him, and it's better to make him understand it at
once--isn't it?'

Emmeline heartily concurred.

'Still,' pursued the other, with an air of great satisfaction, 'I
thought I had better go home for this afternoon. Because when he
didn't see me on the Common he was pretty sure to call at the house,
and I didn't want mother or Cissy to be talking about me to him
bef