d at him sharply.

"Are you thinking of running away?" he said.

"Not running away," said Geoffrey. "I'm not going to do it in any secret
sort of way; but I've made up my mind to go. And now that mother has
thrown me over too, I don't suppose any one will care."

"You've not been going the way to make any one care, it strikes me,"
said Mr. Byrne. "But I have something to say to you, Geoff. One thing
which has helped to make your poor mother ill has been anxiety about
money matters. I had not wished her to know of it; but it was told her
by mistake. I myself have known for some time that things were going
wrong. But now the worst has come----"

"What is the worst?" asked Geoffrey. "Have we lost everything?"

"Yes," said Mr. Byrne, "I think that's about it."

"I think I should have been told this before," said Geoff.

"Well," said his uncle, "I'm not sure but that I agree with you. But
your mother wished to save you as long as she could. And you have not
borne small annoyances so well that she could hope for much comfort from
you in a great trouble."

[Illustration: "I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU, GEOFF."]

Geoff said nothing.

"I shall take care of your mother and sisters," Mr. Byrne went on.

"I am not even to be allowed to work for my mother, then?" said
Geoffrey.

"At your age it will be as much as you can do to work for yourself,"
said the old man. "And as yet, you cannot even do that directly. You
must go on with your education. I have found a school in the country
where you will be well taught, and where you will not be annoyed by not
being able to have all that your companions have, as you have so
complained about."

"And who is to pay for my schooling?" asked the boy.

"I," replied Mr. Byrne.

"Thank you," said Geoffrey. His tone was not exactly disrespectful, but
it was certainly not grateful. "I know I should thank you, but I don't
want you to pay schooling or anything else for me. I shall manage for
myself. It is much best for me to go away altogether. Even--even if this
about our money hadn't happened, I was already making up my mind to it."

Mr. Byrne looked at him.

"Legally speaking, your mother could stop your leaving her," he said.

"She is not likely to do so," replied the boy, "if she is so ill that
she cannot even see me."

"Perhaps not," said the old gentleman. "I will send my servant to you at
mid-day, to say how your mother is."

"Thank you," said Geoffrey again.

Then M