"I have got five hundred pounds," said Jan. "I wanted Lionel to have it,
but he won't. Is that of any use?"

Dr. West coughed. "Well, under the circumstances----But it is very
little! I am sure you must know that it is. Perhaps, Mr. Jan, we can
come to some arrangement by which I take the larger share for the
present. Say that, for this year, you forward me----"

"Why, how long do you mean to be away?" interrupted Jan.

"I can't say. One year, two years, three years--it may be even more than
that. I expect this will be a long and a lucrative engagement. Suppose,
I say, that for the first year you transmit to me the one-half of the
net profits, and, beyond that, hand over to Deborah a certain sum, as
shall be agreed upon, towards housekeeping."

"I don't mind how it is," said easy Jan. "They'll stop here, then?"

"Of course they will. My dear Mr. Jan, everything, I hope, will go on
just as it goes on now, save that I shall be absent. You and
Cheese--whom I hope you'll keep in order--and the errand boy: it will
all be just as it has been. As to the assistant, that will be a future
consideration."

"I'd rather be without one, if I can do it," cried Jan; "and Cheese will
be coming on. Am I to live with 'em?"

"With Deb and Amilly? Why not? Poor, unprotected old things, what would
they do without you? And now, Mr. Jan, as that is settled so far, we
will sit down, and go further into details. I know I can depend upon
your not mentioning this abroad."

"If you don't want me to mention it, you can. But where's the harm?"

"It is always well to keep these little arrangements private," said the
doctor. "Matiss will draw up the deed, and I will take you round and
introduce you as my partner. But there need not be anything said
beforehand. Neither need there be anything said at all about my going
away, until I actually go. You will oblige me in this, Mr. Jan."

"It's all the same to me," said accommodating Jan. "Whose will be this
room, then?"

"Yours, to do as you please with, of course, so long as I am away."

"I'll have a turn-up bedstead put in it and sleep here, then," quoth
Jan. "When folks come in the night, and ring me up, I shall be handy.
It'll be better than disturbing the house, as is the case now."

The doctor appeared struck with the proposition.

"I think it would be a very good plan, indeed," he said. "I don't fancy
the room's damp."

"Not it," said Jan. "If it were damp, it wouldn't hurt me. I h