ence, and stole
away to her own room.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

MR. GERARD.

Clad in an immaculate frock-coat, with a hat of irreproachable shininess
on his head, a flower in his buttonhole, and every detail of his attire
correctly up-to-date, "my chum Gerard" made his appearance to call at
Brompton Square on the Monday afternoon following Miles' return.

"I've met him a hundred times in Piccadilly!" was Jill's comment on the
stranger, and indeed he had far more the air of a fashionable Londoner
than of a miner from the far-off wilds of Mexico. As tall as Miles,
though of a more slender build, showing in the same eloquent fashion the
marks of recent shaving, rather handsome than plain, rather dark than
fair, there seemed at first sight little to distinguish him from a
hundred other men of the same age. On a closer acquaintance, however, a
further attraction was found in the grave, steady glance of the eyes,
and in a rare smile, lighting up somewhat careworn features into a
charming flash of gaiety. Mr Gerard was evidently unused to laughter--
with all his sterling qualities Miles could not be described as a
humorous companion!--and the programme of the past years had been all
work and no play. As he sat in Mrs Trevor's drawing-room that first
afternoon, he listened in a somewhat dazed fashion to the banter which
went on between Jack and his sisters; but after some time had passed his
face began to soften, the corners of his mouth twitched, and presently
out flashed that delightful, whole-hearted smile, and Betty, meeting it,
buried at once and for ever all lingering prejudices against her
brother's friend.

It was fortunate that Mr Gerard had made a favourable impression on the
young people, for, at Miles' earnest request, he was invited to take up
his quarters at Brompton Square for the next few weeks.

"His own people live in the country; he has no friends that he cares
about in town, and I hate the thought of him moping alone in an hotel
after all he has done for me. Besides, we ought to be together just
now. There will be business to talk over every night until we get this
company floated, and if he were not here I should always have to be
going over to him--"

The last argument settled the matter in Mrs Trevor's eyes. Truth to
tell, she was not too anxious to introduce a stranger into her reunited
family circle, but if it were easier and more convenient for Miles, and
ensured for herself a greater