lie can leave the warehouse. What's brought you
to-night, I wonder? You needn't tell me anything about the Upper Street
business; _I_ know all about _that_!'

'Oh, do you? From Clara herself?'

'Yes. Don't talk to me about her! There! I'm sick an tired of her--an'
so are you, I should think, if you've any sense left. Her an' me can't
get along, an' that's the truth. Why, when I met her on Sunday
afternoon, she was that patronisin' you'd have thought she'd got a
place in Windsor Castle. Would she come an' have a cup of tea? Oh dear,
no! Hadn't time! The Princess of Wales, I suppose, was waitin' round
the corner!'

Having so relieved her mind, Mrs. Byass laughed with a genuine gaiety
which proved how little malice there was in her satire. Sidney could
not refuse a smile, but it was a gloomy one.

'I'm not sure you've done all you might have to keep her friends with
you,' he said seriously, but with a good-natured look.

'There you go!' exclaimed Mrs. Byass, throwing back her head. 'Of
course everybody must be in fault sooner than _her_! She's an angel is
Miss Hewett! Poor dear! to think how shameful she's been used! Now I do
wonder how you've the face to say such things, Mr. Kirkwood! Why,
there's nobody else livin' would have been as patient with her as I
always was. I'm not bad-tempered, I will say that for myself, an' I've
put up with all sorts of things (me, a married woman), when anyone else
would have boxed her ears and told her she was a conceited minx. I used
to be fond of Clara; you know I did. But she's got beyond all bearin';
and if you wasn't just as foolish as men always are, you'd see her in
her true colours. Do shake yourself a bit, do! Oh, you silly, silly
man!'

Again she burst into ringing laughter, throwing herself backwards and
forwards, and at last covering her face with her hands. Sidney looked
annoyed, but the contagion of such spontaneous merriment in the end
brought another smile to his face. He moved his head in sign of giving
up the argument, and, as soon as there was silence, turned to the
object of his visit.

'I see you've still got the card in the window. I shouldn't wonder if I
could find you a lodger for those top-rooms.'

'And who's that? No children, mind.'

Sidney told her what he could of the old man. Of Jane he only said that
she had hitherto lived with the Hewetts' landlady, and was now going to
be removed by her grandfather, having just got through an illness. Dire
visi