rm.'

She had, indeed, dressed herself in her least demonstrative costume.
Cobb wore the usual garb of his leisure hours, which was better than
that in which he had called the other day at "Runnymede." For some
minutes they walked towards Streatham Common without interchange of
a word, and with no glance at each other. Then the man coughed, and
said bluntly that he was glad Louise had come.

'Well, I wanted to see you,' was her answer.

'What about?'

'I don't think I shall be able to stay with the Mumfords. They're
very nice people, but they're not exactly my sort, and we don't get
on very well. Where had I better go?'

'Go? Why home, of course. The best place for you.'

Cobb was prepared for a hot retort, but it did not come. After a
moment's reflection, Louise said quietly:

'I can't go home. I've quarrelled with them too badly. You haven't
seen mother lately? Then I must tell you how things are.'

She did so, with no concealment save of the correspondence with Mr.
Bowling, and the not unimportant statements concerning him which she
had made to Mrs. Mumford. In talking with Cobb, Louise seemed to
drop a degree or so in social status; her language was much less
careful than when she conversed with the Mumfords, and even her
voice struck a note of less refinement. Decidedly she was more
herself, if that could be said of one who very rarely made conscious
disguise of her characteristics.

'Better stay where you are, then, for the present,' said Cobb, when
he had listened attentively. 'I dare say you can get along well
enough with the people, if you try.'

'That's all very well; but what about paying them? I shall owe three
guineas for every week I stop.'

'It's a great deal, and they ought to feed you very well for it,'
replied the other, smiling rather sourly.

'Don't be vulgar. I suppose you think I ought to live on a few
shillings a week.'

'Lots of people have to. But there's no reason why _you_ should. But
look here: why should you be quarrelling with your people now about
that fellow Bowling? You don't see him anywhere, do you?'

He flashed a glance at her, and Louise answered with a defiant
motion of the head.

'No, I don't. But they put the blame on me, all the same. I
shouldn't wonder if they think I'm trying to get him.'

She opened her umbrella, for heavy drops had begun to fall; they
pattered on Cobb's hard felt hat, and Louise tried to shelter him as
well as herself.

'Never mind me,