? I shan't forget it. I owe you one for that, my
illustrious friend, and you're the sort of creditor I generally _do_
pay in the long run.'

Only one thing gave him a gleam--not of comfort, precisely, but gloomy
satisfaction; his manoeuvre with the letter had at least succeeded
in keeping Holroyd apart from Mabel. 'He's just the fellow to think
he's jilted, and give her up without another line,' he thought;
'shouldn't wonder if he married out there. Miss Mabel won't have
_everything_ her own way!'

He walked on, past the huge gasometers and furnaces of the Gas
Company, and over the railway and canal bridges, to the Harrow Road,
when he turned mechanically to the right. His eyes saw nothing--neither
the sluggish barges gliding through the greasy black stream on his
right, nor the doleful string of hearses and mourning coaches which
passed him on their way to or from the cemetery. It was with some
surprise that, as he began to take note of his surroundings again, he
found himself in Bayswater, and not far from his own rooms. He thought
he might as well return to them as not, and as he reached the terrace
in which he had taken lodgings, he saw a figure coming towards him
that seemed familiar, and in whom, as he drew nearer, he recognised
his uncle, Mr. Antony Humpage. He was in no mood to talk about
indifferent topics just then, and if his respected uncle had only had
his back instead of his face towards him, Caffyn would have made no
great effort to attract his attention. As it was, he gave him the
heartiest and most dutiful of welcomes. 'You don't mean to say you've
actually been looking me up?' he began; 'how lucky that I came up
just then--another second or two and I should have missed you. Come
in, and let me give you some lunch?'

'No, my boy, I can't stay long. I was in the neighbourhood on
business, and I thought I'd see if you were at home. I won't come up
again now, I must get back to my station. I waited for some time in
those luxurious apartments of yours, you see, thinking you might come
in. Suppose you walk a little way back with me, eh? if you've no
better engagement.'

'Couldn't have a better one,' said Caffyn, inwardly chafing; but he
always made a point of obliging his uncle, and for once he had no
reason to consider his time thrown away. For, as they walked on
together in the direction of the Edgware Road, where the old gentleman
intended to take the Underground to King's Cross, Mr. Humpage, after