money. If your aunt depends on you to
keep her out of the poorhouse, I would not give much for her chance."

"You won't have the satisfaction of seeing either of us there," said
Robert defiantly.

"You needn't expect my wife to give you any more sewing," said Mr.
Jones, scowling at the widow.

"I don't think my aunt wants any, considering she hasn't been paid for
the last work she did," said Robert.

"What do you mean by that? I credited your uncle with twenty-five cents
on his score."

"Without my aunt's consent."

Mr. Jones was so incensed at the defiant mien of the boy that he rocked
violently to and fro--so violently that the chair, whose rockers were
short, tipped over backward and the wrathful landlord rolled
ignominiously on the floor.

"Here's you hat, Mr. Jones," said Robert, smiling in spite of himself as
he picked it up and restored it to the mortified visitor.

"You'll hear from me!" roared the landlord furiously, aiming a blow at
Robert and leaving the room precipitately. "You'll repent this day, see
if you don't!"

After he had left the room Robert and his aunt looked at each other
gravely. They had made an enemy out of a man who could turn them out of
doors.

The future looked far from bright.

CHAPTER XXI

THE HERMIT'S SECRET

Mr. Jones, in his anger at Robert, regretted that he must wait four
weeks before he could turn him and his aunt out of the house. It would
be a great satisfaction to him to see the boy without a roof to shelter
him, reduced to becoming a tramp or to take refuge in the poorhouse.

"By George, I'll humble the young beggar's pride!" exclaimed Mr. Jones
as he hastened homeward from his unsatisfactory interview.

It must be admitted that Robert had not been exactly respectful, but, on
the other hand, it is quite certain that the landlord had been rude and
rough in manner and speech.

Why, then, did not Mr. Jones foreclose the mortgage instantly and
gratify his resentment? Because in the instrument there was a proviso
requiring a notice of four weeks.

However, he felt that it would make little difference.

"They can't raise the money in four weeks," he reflected. "There's
nobody round here who will lend them the money, and they don't know
anybody anywhere else."

So, on the whole, he was satisfied. Four weeks would soon pass, and then
his thirst for revenge would be sated.

"What makes you so sober, my boy?" asked the hermit when Robert made his
regular