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ty reckless step. What this was remained to be seen, but that it amounted to a practical betrayal of her father and McMurtrie seemed fairly obvious from the way in which she had spoken. From the point of view of my own interests, it was an amazing stroke of luck that she should have fallen in love with me, and yet somehow or other I felt distinctly uncomfortable about it. I seemed to be taking an unfair advantage of her, though how on earth I was to avoid doing so was a question which I was quite unable to solve. I certainly couldn't afford to quarrel with her, and she was hardly the sort of girl to accept anything in the nature of a disappointment to her affections in exactly a philosophic frame of mind. I was still pondering over this rather delicate problem, when there came a knock at the door, and in answer to my summons Gertie 'Uggins inserted her head. "The lidy's gorn?" she observed, looking inquiringly round the room. I nodded. "There is no deception, Gertrude," I said. "You can search the coal-scuttle if you like." She wriggled the rest of her body in round the doorway. "Mrs. Oldbury sent me up to ask if you'd be wantin' dinner." "No," I said; "I am going out." Gertie nodded thoughtfully. "Taikin' 'er, I s'pose?" "To be quite exact," I said, "I am dining with another lady." There was a short pause. Then, with an air of some embarrassment Gertie broke the silence. '"Ere," she said: "you know that five bob you give me?" "Yes," I said. "Well, I ain't spendin' it on no dinner--see. I'm goin' to buy a 'at wiv it--a 'at like 'ers: d'yer mind?" "I do mind," I said severely. "That money was intended for your inside, Gertie, not your outside. You have your dinner, and I'll buy you a new hat myself." She clasped her hands together. "Ow!" she cried. "Yer mean it? Yer reely mean it?" "I never joke," I said, "on sacred subjects." Then to my dismay she suddenly began to cry. "You ain't 'alf--'alf bin good to me," she jerked out. "No one ain't never bin good to me like you. I'd--I'd do anyfink for you." "In that case," I said, "you may give me my hat--and cheer up." She obeyed both commands, and then, still sniffing, valiantly marched to the front door and opened it for me to go out. "Goo'-night, sir," she said. "Good-night, Gertrude," I replied; and leaving her standing on the step I set off down the street. Whatever else prison might have done for me, it certainly seemed to have giv
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