n eats
more than a woman, at any rate more butcher's meat--that's
thirty-nine pounds. That's only what he _eats_," she added
significantly. "_What_ did you say, Mother?"

The old lady raised her voice, and the man outside took hope. "I say
I think you're both very unfeeling. For all you know, poor fellow,
he may be quite reformed."

"He may be. I know the chances are he won't," said Kate.

"How do you know anything about it, my dear?"

"I asked Dr. Minify. He has a wide enough experience of these
cases."

Minnie turned fiercely round. "And what made you go and blab to him
about it? I think you might wash your dirty linen at home."

"It's only what you'd have done yourself."

"Not to him."

"Why not?"

There was terror in Minnie's face. "He knows the Tanquerays."

"Well--it's your own fault. You went on about it till it got on my
nerves, and the anxiety was more than I could bear. The porridge
will be boiling over."

"Well?"

"Well, I can't mind porridge and my knitting at the same time."

Minnie threw herself back, pushing her chair with her feet. She rose
and trailed sulkily across to the stove. As she moved a wisp of red
hair, loosened from its coil, clung to her sallow neck. She was
slip-shod and untidy.

She removed the porridge abstractedly. "What did he say?" she asked.

"He was extremely kind and sympathetic. He treated it as a disease.
He said that in nine cases out of ten recovery is impossible."

"Well, _I_ could have told you that. Anything more?"

"He says the chances are that he won't hold out much longer; his
health must have broken up after all these years. I don't know how I
_can_ stand it, if it is. When I think of all the things that may
happen. Paralysis perhaps, or epilepsy--that's far more likely. He's
just the age."

"Is he? How awful! But, then, he'll have to go somewhere. You know
we can't have him epilepsing all over the place here."

The old lady dropped her knitting to raise her hands.

"Minnie! Minnie! Have a little Trust. He may never come at all."

"He will. Trust _him_."

"After all," said Kate reflectively, "why should he?"

"Why? Why?" The girl came forward, spreading her large red hands
before her. "Because we've paid all his debts. Because we've saved
money and got straight again. Because we're getting to know one or
two decent people, and it's taken us fifteen years to do it. Because
we're beginning to enjoy ourselves for the first time in all our
miser