e box, and
Diamond was shouting for the police, when a pale-faced man, in very
shabby clothes, but with the look of a gentleman somewhere about him,
came up, and making good use of his stick, drove them off.

"Now, my little man," he said, "get on while you can. Don't lose any
time. This is not a place for you."

But Diamond was not in the habit of thinking only of himself. He saw
that his new friend looked weary, if not ill, and very poor.

"Won't you jump in, sir?" he said. "I will take you wherever you like."

"Thank you, my man; but I have no money; so I can't."

"Oh! I don't want any money. I shall be much happier if you will get in.
You have saved me all I had. I owe you a lift, sir."

"Which way are you going?"

"To Charing Cross; but I don't mind where I go."

"Well, I am very tired. If you will take me to Charing Cross, I shall be
greatly obliged to you. I have walked from Gravesend, and had hardly a
penny left to get through the tunnel."

So saying, he opened the door and got in, and Diamond drove away.

But as he drove, he could not help fancying he had seen the
gentleman--for Diamond knew he was a gentleman--before. Do all he could,
however, he could not recall where or when. Meantime his fare, if we may
call him such, seeing he was to pay nothing, whom the relief of being
carried had made less and less inclined to carry himself, had been
turning over things in his mind, and, as they passed the Mint, called to
Diamond, who stopped the horse, got down and went to the window.

"If you didn't mind taking me to Chiswick, I should be able to pay you
when we got there. It's a long way, but you shall have the whole fare
from the Docks--and something over."

"Very well, sir" said Diamond. "I shall be most happy."

He was just clambering up again, when the gentleman put his head out of
the window and said--

"It's The Wilderness--Mr. Coleman's place; but I'll direct you when we
come into the neighbourhood."

It flashed upon Diamond who he was. But he got upon his box to arrange
his thoughts before making any reply.

The gentleman was Mr. Evans, to whom Miss Coleman was to have been
married, and Diamond had seen him several times with her in the garden.
I have said that he had not behaved very well to Miss Coleman. He had
put off their marriage more than once in a cowardly fashion, merely
because he was ashamed to marry upon a small income, and live in a
humble way. When a man thinks of what people