me." He struck a match and turned the gas
full on. "That's better," he said; "and some tea would be refreshing
after my walk. I've done the whole trudge on foot this afternoon, and
I consider that's a credit to me. You won't find many rising young men
economising in the matter of horseflesh as I do, or in anything else.
I'll undertake to say I spend less on myself than any other man in the
diocese." He went to the door instead of ringing the bell, and shouted
down the passage to Minna to bring him some tea.

Beth shut her eyes and groaned inwardly.

When the tea came, Dan poured some out for himself, remarking, "I
suppose you've had yours." Beth had not, but she was beyond making any
effort to help herself at the moment. Dan, who always ate at a greedy
rate, left off talking for a little; and during the interval, Beth was
startled by something cold touching her hand. She opened her eyes, and
found a dainty little black-and-tan terrier standing up, with its
forepaws on the couch, looking at her.

"You're a pretty thing," she said. "Where have you come from?"

"Oh, is that the dog?" said Dan, looking round to see to whom she was
talking. "He followed me in. I don't know who he belongs to; but as I
happen to want a little dog, he's welcome."

"But he's very well-bred, isn't he," said Beth, "and valuable? Look at
his pencilled paws, and thin tail, and sharp ears pricked to
attention. He's listening to what we are saying with the greatest
intelligence. I'm sure he's a pet, and his owners will want him back."

"Let them come and fetch him, then," said Dan.

Then it occurred to Beth that Dan had probably bought him to present
to somebody, but chose to lie about it for reasons of his own, so she
said no more.

The next night, about ten o'clock, Dan was called out, and did not
return. Beth, being very wideawake, sat up late, playing patience
first of all, and then reading a shilling shocker of Dan's, which she
had taken up casually and become interested in. The story was of an
extremely sensational kind, and she found herself being wrought up by
it to a high pitch of nervous excitement. At the slightest noise she
jumped; and then she became oppressed by the silence, and found
herself peering into the dark corners of the room, and hesitating to
glance over her shoulder, as if she feared to see something. She
supposed the servants had not yet gone to bed, for she heard at
intervals what seemed to be a human voice. After a