heard what those great
pundits you brought down said about you, I didn't know what I was doing.
You mustn't waste your time writing notes and doing accounts for a
provincial spinster."

"And are you going to write the notes and do the accounts yourself?" I
asked. "Or is Chat?"

"I'm going to pension Chat; she's got a horrid cough, poor thing, and
will do much better in a snug little villa at the seaside. I've got my
eye on one for her. I shall get a smart young woman, who dresses nicely,
looks pretty, and knows something about frocks and millinery--which last
necessary accomplishment of a lady's private secretary you have never
even tried to acquire."

"Dear me, no more I have! It never occurred to me before. I left it to
Chat! Do you think I could learn it now?"

"I've the very greatest doubts about it," answered Jenny, deceitfully
grave. "Go away, and write more books." She shook her head at me
reproachfully. "To think you never told me what I was doing!"

"I suppose you're aware that you pay me four hundred pounds a year?"

"So did my father. I suppose he knew what the proper salary was."

"But you don't know perhaps how much I've made out of these marvelous
books in the last four years? It amounts to the sum of twenty-seven
pounds, four shillings, and twopence. Your new secretary will tell you
in a minute how much that works out at per annum."

"Goodness!" murmured Jenny. "Oh, but, of course, I should----"

"Of course you'd do nothing of the kind! Time has consecrated my claim
to be overpaid for inefficient services--but I won't be pensioned off
into a villa with Chat! Here I stay--or out I go--to a garret and
starvation!"

"And fame!"

"Oh, humbug! As for my work, you know I've more time here than I want."

"You really won't go? I shall have the clever girl, you know--for the
notes and the accounts!"

"Have the girl, and be--satisfied with that!"

"You really refuse to leave me, Austin?"

"This is my home," I said. "Here I stay till I'm turned out."

She came to me and put her arm through mine. "If this is your home,
nobody shall turn you out--neither before my death nor after it. As long
as you live, the Old Priory is there for you. Even you can't refuse
that?"

"No, I won't refuse that. Let me stop in the Old Priory and do the odd
jobs."

She pressed my arm gently. "It would have been very curious to have
nobody to talk to about things--especially about the old things." Her
voice shook a