can do for me. If I get that I shall be a different man."

"He'd do anything for Miss Joan," said the mollified Rosa thoughtfully,
"and if you behave yourself and conquer your wicked jealous nature I
might put in a word for you with her myself."

Mr. Walters thanked her warmly and with a natural anxiety regarding his
future prospects, paid frequent visits to learn what progress she was
making. He haunted the kitchen with the persistency of a blackbeetle,
and became such a nuisance at last that Miss Hartley espoused his cause
almost with enthusiasm.

"He is very much attached to Rosa, but he takes up a lot of her time,"
she said to Robert Vyner as they were on their way one evening to
Tranquil Vale to pay a visit to Captain Trimblett.

"I'll get him something for Rosa's sake," said Robert, softly. "I shall
never forget that she invited me to breakfast when her mistress would
have let me go empty away. Do you remember?"

"I remember wondering whether you were going to stay all day," said
Joan.

"It never occurred to me," said Mr. Vyner in tones of regret. "I'm
afraid you must have thought me very neglectful."

They walked on happily through the dark, cold night until the lighted
windows of Tranquil Vale showed softly in the blackness. There was
a light in the front room of No. 5, and the sound of somebody moving
hurriedly about followed immediately upon Mr. Vyner's knock. Then the
door opened and Captain Trimblett stood before them.

"Come in," he said heartily. "Come in, I'm all alone this evening."

He closed the door behind them, and, while Mr. Vyner stood gazing
moodily at the mound on the table which appeared to have been hastily
covered up with a rather soiled towel, placed a couple of easy chairs
by the fire. Mr. Vyner, with his eyes still on the table, took his seat
slowly, and then transferring his regards to Captain Trimblett, asked
him in a stern vein what he was smiling at Joan for.

"She smiled at me first," said the captain.

Mr. Vyner shook his head at both of them, and at an offer of a glass of
beer looked so undecided that the captain, after an uneasy glance at the
table, which did not escape Mr. Vyner, went to the kitchen to procure
some.

"I wonder," said Robert musingly, as he turned to the table, "I wonder
if it would be bad manners to--"

"Yes," said Joan, promptly.

Mr. Vyner sighed and tried to peer under a corner of the towel. "I can
see a saucer," he announced, excitedly.

Mis