ortune. I really didn't, but I collected
enough money to dabble in stocks and shares. The South African boom was
on, and I made a thousand. Other speculations created more than a
million out of my thousand, and now I have over two millions, honestly
made."

"Honestly?" queried Miss Greeby significantly.

"Yes; I assure you, honestly. We gypsies are cleverer than you Gentiles,
and we have the same money-making faculties as the Jews have. If my
people were not so fond of the vagrant life they would soon become a
power in the money markets of the world. But, save in the case of
myself, we leave all such grubbing to the Jews. I did grub, and my
reward is that I have accumulated a fortune in a remarkably short space
of time. I have land and houses, and excellent investments, and a title,
which," he added sarcastically, "a grateful Government bestowed on me
for using my money properly."

"You bought the title by helping the political party you belonged to,"
said Miss Greeby with a shrug. "There was quite a talk about it."

"So there was. As if I cared for talk. However, that is my story."

"Not all of it. You are supposed to be in Paris, and--"

"And you find me here," interrupted Pine with a faint smile. "Well you
see, being a gypsy, I can't always endure that under-the-roof life you
Gentiles live. I must have a spell of the open road occasionally. And,
moreover, as my doctor tells me that I have phthisis, and that I should
live as much as possible in the open air, I kill two birds with one
stone, as the saying is. My health benefits by my taking up the old
Romany wandering, and I gratify my nostalgia for the tent and the wild.
You understand, you und--" His speech was interrupted by a fresh fit of
coughing.

"It doesn't seem to do you much good this gypsying," said Miss Greeby
with a swift look, for his life was of importance to her plans. "You
look pretty rocky I can tell you, Pine. And if you die your wife will be
free to--" The man sat up and took away from his mouth a handkerchief
spotted with blood. His eyes glittered, and he showed his white teeth.
"My wife will be free to what?" he demanded viciously, and the same
devil that had lurked in Mother Cockleshell's eye, now showed
conspicuously in his.

Miss Greeby had no pity on his manifest distress and visible wrath, but
answered obliquely: "You know that she was almost engaged to her cousin
before you married her," she hinted pointedly.

"Yes, I know, d----