mself.

And again "my Lady" swept on, this time out of the door and into her
waiting carriage.

CHAPTER VI

Jack's impatience increased as the hour for Peter's visit approached.
Quarter of nine found him leaning over the banisters outside his small
suite of rooms, peering down between the hand-rails watching the top of
every head that crossed the spacious hall three flights below--he dare
not go down to welcome his guest, fearing some of the girls, many
of whom had already arrived, would know he was in the house. Fifteen
minutes later the flash of a bald head, glistening in the glare of the
lower hall lantern, told him that the finest old gentleman in the world
had arrived, and on the very minute. Parkins's special instructions,
repeated for the third time, were to bring Mr. Peter Grayson--it was
wonderful what an impressive note was in the boy's voice when he rolled
out the syllables--up at once, surtout, straight-brimmed hat, overshoes
(if he wore any), umbrella and all, and the four foot-falls--two
cat-like and wabbly, as befitted the obsequious flunky, and two firm and
decided, as befitted a grenadier crossing a bridge--could now be heard
mounting the stairs.

"So here you are!" cried Peter, holding out both hands to the overjoyed
boy--"'way up near the sky. One flight less than my own. Let me get my
breath, my boy, before I say another word. No, don't worry, only Anno
Domini--you'll come to it some day. How delightfully you are settled!"

They had entered the cosey sitting-room and Jack was helping with his
coat; Parkins, with his nose in the air (he had heard his master's
criticism), having already placed his hat on a side table and the
umbrella in the corner.

"Where will you sit--in the big chair by the fire or in this long straw
one?" cried the boy, Peter's coat still in his hand.

"Nowhere yet; let me look around a little." One of Peter's tests of a
man was the things he lived with. "Ah! books?" and he peered at a row
on the mantel. "Macaulay, I see, and here's Poe: Good, very good--why,
certainly it is--Where did you get this Morland?" and again Peter's
glasses went up. "Through that door is your bedroom--yes, and the bath.
Very charming, I must say. You ought to live very happily here; few
young fellows I know have half your comforts."

Jack had interrupted him to say that the Morland print was one that he
had brought from his father's home, and that the books had come from the
same source,