r girl, that I had not been altogether wrong in my
opposition to her unhappy fancy."

The following day Harry was installed in Eaton Square. Captain Bayley
was delighted to find how easily and naturally he fell into the new
position, how well he expressed himself, and how wide was his range of
knowledge.

"He is a gentleman, every inch," he exclaimed delightedly to Alice. "If
you knew how I have thought of him you would understand how happy it
makes me to see him what he is."

Captain Bayley lost no time in obtaining the best possible surgical
advice for his grandson; their opinion was not as favourable as he had
hoped. Had he been properly treated at the time of his accident he
might, they said, have made a complete recovery; but now it was too
late. However, they thought that by means of surgical appliances, and a
course of medicinal baths, he might recover the use of his legs to some
extent, and be able to walk with crutches. This was something, and the
Captain determined at once to carry their advice into effect.

Between Alice Hardy and the lad a strong friendship speedily sprang up.
The girl's bright talk, which was so different from anything he had
hitherto experienced was very delightful to the lad; but the strong bond
between them was their mutual feeling about Frank. From her Harry
learned the charge under which Frank laboured, and his indignant
repudiation of the possibility of such a thing delighted Alice's heart;
hitherto she had been alone in her belief, and it was delightful to her
to talk with one who was of her own way of thinking. She infected Harry
with her own dislike and suspicions of Fred Barkley, and amused the lad
greatly by telling him how, when she had heard of the discovery of his
existence, she had, when Mrs. Holl left, gone straight up to her room
and indulged in a wild dance of delight at the destruction of Fred's
hope of being Captain Bayley's sole heir.

"It was glorious," she said. "I knew Fred hated Frank, though Frank,
silly old boy, was always taking his part with me, and scolding me
because I didn't like his cousin; and I am quite, quite sure that he has
had something to do with getting Frank into this dreadful scrape, and it
was glorious to think that just when he thought that he had got the
field clear, and uncle Harry all to himself, you should suddenly appear
and put his nose out of joint. That's a very unladylike expression,
Harry, and I know I oughtn't to use it, but there