said Mrs. Cox, shaking
her head; "that clock won't last him out, I know; he'll come back and
take some of the other things. Every spring I have to go through his
pockets for the tickets and get the things out again, and I mustn't say
a word for fear of hurting his feelings. If I do he goes off again."

"If I were you," said Mrs. Berry, emphatically, "I'd get behind with the
rent or something and have the brokers in. He'd look rather astonished
if he came home and saw a broker's man sitting in a chair--"

"He'd look more astonished if he saw him sitting in a flower-pot,"
suggested the caustic Mr. Piper.

"I couldn't do that," said Mrs. Cox. "I couldn't stand the disgrace,
even though I knew I could pay him out. As it is, Cox is always setting
his family above mine."

Mrs. Berry, without ceasing to stare Mr. Piper out of countenance, shook
her head, and, folding her arms, again stated her opinion that Mr. Cox
wanted a shock, and expressed a great yearning to be the humble means of
giving him one.

"If you can't have the brokers in, get somebody to pretend to be one,"
she said, sharply; "that would prevent him pawning any more things, at
any rate. Why wouldn't he do?" she added, nodding at her uncle.

Anxiety on Mrs. Cox's face was exaggerated on that of Mr. Piper.

"Let uncle pretend to be a broker's man in for the rent," continued the
excitable lady, rapidly. "When Mr. Cox turns up after his spree, tell
him what his doings have brought you to, and say you'll have to go to
the workhouse."

"I look like a broker's man, don't I?" said Mr. Piper, in a voice more
than tinged with sarcasm.

"Yes," said his niece, "that's what put it into my head."

"It's very kind of you, dear, and very kind of Mr. Piper," said Mrs.
Cox, "but I couldn't think of it, I really couldn't."

"Uncle would be delighted," said Mrs. Berry, with a wilful blinking of
plain facts. "He's got nothing better to do; it's a nice house and good
food, and he could sit at the open window and sniff at the sea all day
long."

Mr. Piper sniffed even as she spoke, but not at the sea.

"And I'll come for him the day after to-morrow," said Mrs. Berry.

It was the old story of the stronger will: Mrs. Cox after a feeble stand
gave way altogether, and Mr. Piper's objections were demolished before
he had given them full utterance. Mrs. Berry went off alone after
dinner, secretly glad to have got rid of Mr. Piper, who was making a
self-invited stay at her