body outside.

'Che d'addends,' said a voice at a little distance; and Paul, guided by
Pauer's hand upon his arm, groped his way towards it.

In the pale light outside the tent, the fog having cleared away, and a
thin strip of moon hanging over the river, Paul dimly discerned a stout,
broad-shouldered man of brief stature, who was half buried in a big fur
overcoat An eyeglass shone faintly beneath the brim of his silk hat
The three made their way across the slippery field, and on to the firm
high-road. They reached the inn to which Paul had run as a messenger a
little while ago, and Pauer led the way to an upstair room where supper
was laid, and a bright fire was blazing on the hearth. The guest needed
no second invitation to be seated, but he made a poor meal, in spite
of the best intentions. His companions disregarded him for a time, and
spoke in a language he did not understand. He tried to disconnect and
isolate their words, but they all seemed to run together. He fancied
that Pauer talked in one tongue and his friend in another, but he knew
later that this was a mere question of accent. When Paul was growing
sleepy again the man with the eyeglass spoke in English.

'Ask him, then.'

'My friend here,' said Pauer, 'Mr. George Darco, wants a smart, handy
youngster. If you can give us a satisfactory account of how you came
into your present condition, he will find you employment.'

Paul looked from one to the other, and both men regarded him seriously.
He blushed furiously, and his eyes fell.

'I suppose,' said Pauer, 'that you don't remember much of what you said
to me on Saturday night?

'I don't know,' Paul answered.

'Do you remember that I told you I was going with my show to Castle
Barfield?

'No,' said Paul.

'Do you remember writing your father's address in my pocket-book, and
telling me that he would do my printing for nothing if I told him I was
a friend of yours?'

'No,' said Paul again. 'I didn't know I was so bad as that.'

'Do you remember a long screed you gave me about manly purity?'

'No,' said Paul once more. His voice would barely obey him.

'You went off in tow with that young woman. Do you remember that?'

'I know I did. I don't remember it.'

'She cleared you out, I suppose?' 'Yes.'

'And you were ashamed to go home? You hadn't money to pay your landlady?

'It wasn't that.'

'What was it, then?

'For God's sake don't ask me! I can't bear to think of it.

And then it all