brothers and sisters. They aren't here," I said
rather impatiently. "What sort of man d'you mean you think Mr. Burke is
that you want Miss Million warned against him?"

"I think any man would guess at the kind of man he was--shady."

"D'you mean," I said, "that he cheats at cards; that sort of thing?"

"Oh! I don't know that he'd do that----"

"What does he do, then?"

"Ah! that's what one would like to know," said the young bank manager,
frowning down at me. "What does he do? How does he live? Apparently in
one room in Jermyn Street, over a hairdresser's.

"But he's never there. He's always about in the most expensive haunts in
London, always with people who have money. Pigeons to pluck. I don't
believe the fellow has a penny of his own, Miss Lovelace."

"Is that a crime?" I said. "I haven't a penny myself."

Then I felt absolutely amazed with myself. Here I was positively
defending that young scamp and fortune-hunter who had this very
afternoon admitted to me that he'd told Million fibs, and that he got
what he could out of everybody.

Another thing. Here I was feeling quite annoyed with Mr. Brace for
coming here with these warnings about this other man! Yet it was only
the other day that I'd made up my mind to ask Mr. Brace for his candid
opinion on the subject of Miss Million's new friend!

And now I said almost coldly: "Have you anything at all definite to tell
me against Mr. Burke's character?"

"Yes. As it happens, I have," said Mr. Brace quickly, standing there
even more stiffly. "I told you that I had met the man once before. I'll
tell you where it was, Miss Lovelace. It was at my own bank. He came to
me with a sort of an introduction from a client of ours, a young cavalry
officer. He, Mr. Burke, told me he'd be glad to open an account with
us."

"Yes? So did Miss Million."

"Hardly in the same way," said Mr. Brace. "After a few preliminaries
this man Burke told me that at the moment he was not prepared to pay
anything in to his account, but----"

"--But what?" I took up as my visitor paused impressively, as if before
the announcement of something almost unspeakably wicked.

"This man Burke actually had the assurance," said the young bank manager
in outraged tones, "the assurance to suggest to me that the bank should
thereupon advance to him, as a loan out of his 'account,' fifty pounds
down!"

"Yes?" I said a little doubtfully, for I wasn't quite sure where the
point of this came in. "A