ieve that he was in
a fair way to inherit the greater part of Michael's possessions. There
was jubilation in Clerkenwell Close, but mother and daughter kept stern
watch upon Joseph's proceedings.

Another acquaintance of ours benefited by this event. Michael made it a
stipulation that some kind of work should be found at the factory for
John Hewett, who, since his wife's death, had been making a wretched
struggle to establish a more decent home for the children. The firm of
Lake, Snowdon, & Co. took Hewett into their employment as a porter, and
paid him twenty-five shillings a week--of which sum, however, the odd
five shillings were privately made up by Michael. On receiving this
appointment, John drew the sigh of a man who finds himself in haven
after perilous beating about a lee shore. The kitchen in King's Cross
Bead was abandoned, and with Sidney Kirkwood's aid the family found
much more satisfactory quarters. Friends of Sidney's, a man and wife of
middle age without children, happened to be looking for lodgings: it
was decided that they and John Hewett should join in the tenancy of a
fiat, up on the fifth storey of the huge block of tenements called
Farringdon Road Buildings. By this arrangement the children would be
looked after, and the weekly twenty-five shillings could be made to go
much further than on the ordinary system. As soon as everything had
been settled, and when Mr. and Mrs. Eagles had already housed
themselves in the one room which was all they needed for their private
accommodation, Hewett and the children began to pack together their
miserable sticks and rags for removal. Just then Sidney Kirkwood looked
in.

'Eagles wants to see you for a minute about something,' he said. 'Just
walk round with me, will you?'

John obeyed, in the silent, spiritless way now usual with him. It was
but a short distance to the buildings: they went up the winding stone
staircase, and Sidney gave a hollow-sounding knock at one of the two
doors that faced each other on the fifth storey. Mrs. Eagles opened, a
decent, motherly woman, with a pleasant and rather curious smile on her
face. She led the way into one of the rooms which John had seen empty
only a few hours ago. How was this? Oil-cloth on the floor, a blind at
the window, a bedstead, a table, a chest of drawers--

Mrs. Eagles withdrew, discreetly. Hewett stood with a look of uneasy
wonderment, and at length turned to his companion.

'Now, look here,' he growl