purpose
of extorting money from her by any means. He now changed his tactics,
and resolved to board and lodge with her gratuitously. The proposition
rather startled the poor woman, for she found it difficult to make the
two ends meet, even when her house was full of lodgers. She had not the
heart to refuse him, however, and thus Mr Black was fairly installed in
the old room whose window opened on the cats' parade.

In her difficulty Mrs Niven went, as she was in the habit of doing, to
Philosopher Jack, to whom she represented Mr Black as such a suffering
and self-sacrificing man, that his heart was quite melted.

"I'll tell you what I'll do, Mrs Niven," he said. "There is a sum of
money in my father's possession, the interest of which enabled me to pay
my way when I came back from the gold-fields. My father won't use that
money himself and I won't accept it from him. We have therefore
resolved to devote it to charitable purposes. Now, we will give Mr
Black a small annuity out of it, for your sake, Mrs Niven."

Philosopher Jack was not, however, so easily deceived as Mrs Niven. He
afterwards "found out" Mr Black, and told him so in very stern
language. Nevertheless, he did not stop his allowance. Neither did he
enlighten Mrs Niven as to the man's true character, though he kept a
sharp eye on him.

Thus did Mr Black become a pensioner and a free boarder. There is no
sinner on this side [of] the grave who is beyond redemption. That which
prosperity and adversity had equally failed to accomplish, was finally
brought about by unmerited kindness,--Mr Black's spirit was quietly and
gradually, but surely, broken. The generous forbearance of Edwin Jack,
and the loving Christian sympathy of his intended victim, proved too
much for him. He confessed his sin to Jack, and offered to resign his
pension; but Jack would not hear of it, as the pensioner was by that
time too old and feeble to work. He also confessed to Mrs Niven, but
that unsuspecting woman refused to believe that he ever did or could
harbour so vile a design towards her, and she continued in that mind to
her dying day.

Peggy, however, was made of sterner stuff. She not only believed his
confession, but she refused to believe in his repentance, and continued
to treat him with marked disrespect until her mistress died. After that
however, she relented, and retired with him to a poorer residence, in
the capacity of his servant. Peggy was eccentric