her husband; "takes 'imself off as if we
was dirt beneath 'is feet, and never been back to give a explanation from
that day to this."

"I'm not easy surprised," said Mrs. Kybird, "I never was from a gal, but
I must say Teddy's been a surprise to me. If anybody 'ad told me 'e'd
ha' behaved like that I wouldn't ha' believed it; I couldn't. I've never
said much about it, becos my pride wouldn't let me. We all 'ave our
faults, and mine is pride."

"I shall bring a breach o' promise action agin 'im for five thousand
pounds," said Mr. Kybird, with decision.

"Talk sense," said Nathan Smith, shortly.

"Sense!" cried Mr. Kybird. "Is my gal to be played fast and loose with
like that? Is my gal to be pitched over when 'e likes? Is my gal--"

"Wot's the good o' talking like that to me?" said the indignant Mr.
Smith. "The best thing you can do is to get 'er married to Teddy at
once, afore 'e knows of 'is luck."

"And when'll that be?" inquired his friend, in a calmer voice.

"Any time," said the boarding-master, shrugging his shoulders. "The old
gentleman might go out to-night, or again 'e might live on for a week or
more. 'E was so weak 'e couldn't 'ardly sign 'is name."

"I 'ope 'e 'as signed it all right," said Mr. Kybird, starting.

"Safe as 'ouses," said his friend.

"Well, why not wait till Teddy 'as got the money?" suggested Mrs. Kybird,
with a knowing shake of her head.

"Becos," said Mr. Smith, in a grating voice, "be-cos for one thing 'e'd
be a rich man then and could 'ave 'is pick. Teddy Silk on a pound or
thereabouts a week and Teddy Silk with ten thousand pounds 'ud be two
different people. Besides that 'e'd think she was marrying 'im for 'is
money."

"If 'e thought that," said Mrs. Kybird, firmly, "I'd never forgive 'im."

"My advice to you," said Nathan Smith, shaking his forefinger
impressively, "is to get 'em married on the quiet and as soon as
possible. Once they're tied up Teddy can't 'elp 'imself."

"Why on the quiet?" demanded Mr. Kybird, sharply.

The boarding-master uttered an impatient exclamation. "Becos if Mr.
Swann got to 'ear of it he'd guess I'd been blabbing, for one thing," he
said, sharply, "and for another, 'e left it to 'im partly to make up for
'is disappointment--he'd been disappointed 'imself in 'is younger days,
so 'e told me."

"Suppose 'e managed to get enough strength to alter 'is will?"

Mr. Kybird shivered. "It takes time to get married, though," he
obje