etween them at Yarmouth,
and were close allies again when they left that place. Some little
compact on matters of business must have been arranged between
them,--for the Captain was in funds again. He was in funds again
through the liberality of his friend,--and no payment of former loans
had been made, nor had there been any speech of such. Mr Cheesacre
had drawn his purse-strings liberally, and had declared that if all
went well the hospitality of Oileymead should not be wanting during
the winter. Captain Bellfield had nodded his head and declared that
all should go well.

"You won't see much of the Captain, I suppose," said Mr Cheesacre to
Mrs Greenow on the morning of the day after her arrival at Norwich.
He had come across the whole way from Oileymead to ask her if she
found herself comfortable,--and perhaps with an eye to the Norwich
markets at the same time. He now wore a pair of black riding boots
over his trousers, and a round topped hat, and looked much more at
home than he had done by the seaside.

"Not much, I dare say," said the widow. "He tells me that he must be
on duty ten or twelve hours a day. Poor fellow!"

"It's a deuced good thing for him, and he ought to be very much
obliged to me for putting him in the way of getting it. But he told
me to tell you that if he didn't call, you were not to be angry with
him."

"Oh, no;--I shall remember, of course."

"You see, if he don't work now he must come to grief. He hasn't got
a shilling that he can call his own."

"Hasn't he really?"

"Not a shilling, Mrs Greenow;--and then he's awfully in debt. He
isn't a bad fellow, you know, only there's no trusting him for
anything." Then after a few further inquiries that were almost
tender, and a promise of further supplies from the dairy, Mr
Cheesacre took his leave, almost forgetting to ask after Miss
Vavasor.

But as he left the house he had a word to say to Jeannette. "He
hasn't been here, has he, Jenny?" "We haven't seen a sight of him
yet, sir,--and I have thought it a little odd." Then Mr Cheesacre
gave the girl half-a-crown, and went his way. Jeannette, I think,
must have forgotten that the Captain had looked in after leaving his
military duties on the preceding evening.

The Captain's ten or twelve hours of daily work was performed,
no doubt, at irregular intervals,--some days late and some days
early,--for he might be seen about Norwich almost at all times,
during the early part of that November;