od between them. There was a sort of irony, too,
in the fact that he himself had by his own action established him more
firmly than ever in this girl's affections.

And the fellow was not worth a thought! That was the rotten part of
it. As he looked at her he felt strongly tempted to blurt out the
truth; to tell her that it was he who wrote that letter--to undeceive
her once and for all.

But the thing was manifestly impossible. She would probably think it
an abominable thing to have opened Ashton's letter; she would probably
be furious if he let her know that the money she had received had come
from him. Whichever way he turned he seemed to be in a corner.

They had reached the new boarding-house now, and Micky was relieved to
see that it was a decided improvement on the one in the Brixton Road.

The windows were not boxed up, and the steps and the bell were clean.
It was on the sunny side of the road, too, and had an air of
cheerfulness about it.

"It's much better than the other one, isn't it?" Esther asked.

"Streets better," he assured her. "I shouldn't mind living here
myself...." He waited, but she made no comment, and he felt rather
snubbed.

There was a little silence.

"Don't you like the place where you are living now?" she asked after a
moment. "Don't they make you comfortable there?"

"Oh, it's comfortable enough," said Micky. He wondered if he looked as
guilty as he felt. "But I don't believe in sticking on anywhere too
long. A change is good for every one. I shall be shifting out some day
soon, I expect."

There was a little silence.

"I shall see you again soon," he said. "And if there is anything I can
do for you----"

"Thank you, but there isn't." She spoke quite kindly, but Micky had
the uncomfortable sort of feeling that her thoughts were elsewhere. He
waited a moment, then held out his hand.

"Well, good-bye."

"Good-bye, and thank you for my tea."

She nodded and smiled and turned away from him.

There was nothing else for Micky to do but to go; he raised his hat
and walked off disconsolately.

CHAPTER IV

When Esther went upstairs to her room in No. 11 Elphinstone Road, she
found the door standing open, and she could hear some one talking
inside.

She stood still for a moment in amazement; she thought perhaps she had
made a mistake and come to the wrong room, but a glance reassured her;
the number of her room was 23, and this one was 23; she pushed the
door wider