sir."

"Ah, you mean one shilling a day, I suppose."

"No, sir, I mean one shillin' a _week_. Mr Scott there knows that I'm
tellin' what's true."

Giles nodded, and Sir Richard said, "ha-a-hem," having nothing more
lucid to remark on such an amazing financial problem as was here set
before him.

"But," continued Mrs Frog, "poor Hetty has had a sad disappointment
this week--"

"Oh! mother," interrupted Hetty, "don't trouble the gentleman with that.
Perhaps he wouldn't understand it, for of course he hasn't heard about
all the outs and ins of slop-work."

"Pardon me, my good girl," said Sir Richard, "I have not, as you truly
remark, studied the details of slop-work minutely, but my mind is not
unaccustomed to financial matters. Pray let me hear about this--"

A savage growling, something between a mastiff and a man, outside the
door, here interrupted the visitor, and a hand was heard fumbling about
the latch. As the hand seemed to lack skill to open the door the foot
considerately took the duty in hand and burst it open, whereupon the
huge frame of Ned Frog stumbled into the room and fell prostrate at the
feet of Sir Richard, who rose hastily and stepped back.

The pugilist sprang up, doubled his ever ready fists, and, glaring at
the knight, asked savagely:

"Who the--"

He was checked in the utterance of a ferocious oath, for at that moment
he encountered the grave eye of Number 666.

Relaxing his fists he thrust them into his coat-pockets, and, with a
subdued air, staggered out of the house.

"My 'usband, sir," said Mrs Frog, in answer to her visitor's inquiring
glance.

"Oh! is that his usual mode of returning home?"

"No, sir," answered Bobby from his corner, for he was beginning to be
amused by the succession of surprises which Wealth was receiving, "'e
don't always come in so. Sometimes 'e sends 'is 'ead first an' the feet
come afterwards. In any case the furniture's apt to suffer, not to
mention the in'abitants, but you've saved us to-night, sir, or, raither,
Mr Scott 'as saved both us an' you."

Poor little Di, who had been terribly frightened, clung closer to her
father's arm on hearing this.

"Perhaps," said Sir Richard, "it would be as well that we should go, in
case Mr Frog should return."

He was about to say good-bye when Di checked him, and, despite her
fears, urged a short delay.

"We haven't heard, you know, about the slops yet. Do stop just one
minute, dear papa. I wonder