here else can they go, Tom? They must go there, or on the parish, you
know.'

'They'll all troop down to the young tailor--eh?'

'They can't sleep in the parks, Tom.'

'No. They can't get into Buckingham Palace, neither--'cept as housemaids.
'Gad, they're howling like cats, I'd swear--nuisance to the
neighbourhood--ha! ha!'

Old Tom's cruel laughter made Andrew feel for the unhappy ladies. He
stuck his forehead, and leaned forward, saying: 'I don't know--'pon my
honour, I don't know--can't think we've--quite done right to punish 'em
so.'

This acted like cold water on Old Tom's delight. He pitched it back in
the shape of a doubt of what Andrew had told him. Whereupon Andrew defied
him to face three miserable women on the verge of hysterics; and Old Tom,
beginning to chuckle again, rejoined that it would bring them to their
senses, and emancipate him.

'You may laugh, Mr. Tom,' said Andrew; 'but if poor Harry should find me
out, deuce a bit more home for me.'

Old Tom looked at him keenly, and rapped the table. 'Swear you did it,
Nan.'

'You promise you'll keep the secret,' said Andrew.

'Never make promises.'

'Then there's a pretty life for me! I did it for that poor dear boy. You
were only up to one of your jokes--I see that. Confound you, Old Tom,
you've been making a fool of me.'

The flattering charge was not rejected by Old Tom, who now had his
brother to laugh at as well. Andrew affected to be indignant and
desperate.

'If you'd had a heart, Tom, you'd have saved the poor fellow without any
bother at all. What do you think? When I told him of our smash--ha! ha!
it isn't such a bad joke-well, I went to him, hanging my head, and he
offered to arrange our affairs--that is--'

'Damned meddlesome young dog!' cried Old Tom, quite in a rage.

'There--you're up in a twinkling,' said Andrew. 'Don't you see he
believed it, you stupid Old Tom? Lord! to hear him say how sorry he was,
and to see how glad he looked at the chance of serving us!'

'Serving us!' Tom sneered.

'Ha!' went Andrew. 'Yes. There. You're a deuced deal prouder than fifty
peers. You're an upside-down old despot!'

No sharper retort rising to Old Tom's lips, he permitted his brother's
abuse of him to pass, declaring that bandying words was not his business,
he not being a Parliament man.

'How about the Major, Nan? He coming down, too?'

'Major!' cried Andrew. 'Lucky if he keeps his commission. Coming down?
No. He's off to the Con