r
two. I should like my son to do the thing handsomely. You know better
than I how much this will cost, but I am prepared to send you, say,
twenty-five or thirty pounds for such a purpose. Or, you can have the
bills sent to me.

"With love,
"Your affectionate father,
"GEORGE BEAUMONT-GREENE."

Beaumont-Greene, like the immortal Mr. Toots, rather fancied himself as
a letter-writer. The longer he looked at his effusion, the more he liked
it. His handwriting was not unlike his father's--modelled, indeed, upon
it. With a little careful manipulation of a few letters----!

The day was cold, but Beaumont-Greene suddenly found himself in a
perspiration. None the less, it seemed easier to forge a letter than to
avow himself penniless. Detection? Impossible! Two or three tradesmen in
Harrow would advance the money if he showed them this letter. Next
Christmas they would be paid. Within a quarter of an hour he made up his
mind to cross the Rubicon, and crossed it with undue haste. He forged
the letter, placed it in an envelope which had come from Rome, and went
to his tailor's.

Under pretext of looking at patterns, he led the man aside.

"You can do me a favour," he began, in his usual, heavy, hesitating
manner.

"With pleasure," said the tradesman, smiling. Then, seeing an
opportunity, he added, "You are leaving Harrow, Mr. Beaumont-Greene, but
I trust, sir, you will not take your custom with you. We have always
tried to please you."

Beaumont-Greene, in his turn, saw opportunity.

"Yes, yes," he answered. Then he produced the letter, envelope and all.
"I have here a letter from my father, who is in Rome. I'll read it to
you. No; you can read it yourself."

The tailor read the letter.

"Very handsome," he replied; "_very_ handsome indeed, sir. Your father
is a true gentleman."

"It happens," said Beaumont-Greene, more easily, for the thing seemed to
be simpler than he had anticipated--"it happens that I _do_ want to make
some presents, but I'm not going to buy them here. I shall send to the
Stores, you know. I have their catalogue."

"Just so, sir. Excellent place the Stores for nearly everything; except,
perhaps, my line."

"I should not think of buying clothes there. But at the Stores one must
pay cash. I've not got the cash, and my father is in Rome. I should like
to have the money to-day, if possible. Will you ob