just as
well have sat idle, troubled her habits of mind. She often had the face
of one growing prematurely aged.

'I hope you won't let them bring anyone they like,' Richard said to her.
'I've sent that fellow about his business; he's here for no good. He
mustn't come again.'

'They won't heed me,' replied Mrs. Mutimer, using the tone of little
interest with which she was accustomed to speak of details of the new
order.

'Well, then, they've _got_ to heed you, and I'll have that
understood.--Why didn't 'Arry go to work to-day?'

'Didn't want to, I s'pose.'

'Has he stayed at home often lately?'

'Not at 'ome, but I expect he doesn't always go to work.'

'Will you go and sit with Alice in the front room? I'll have a talk with
him.'

'Arry came whistling at the summons. There was a nasty look on his face,
the look which in his character corresponded to Richard's resoluteness.
His brother eyed him.

'Look here, 'Arry,' the elder began, 'I want this explaining. What do
you mean by shirking your work?'

There was no reply. 'Arry strode to the window and leaned against the
side of it, in the attitude of a Sunday loafer waiting for the dram-shop
to open.

'If this goes on,' Richard pursued, 'you'll find yourself in your old
position again. I've gone to a good deal of trouble to give you a start,
and it seems to me you ought to show a better spirit. We'd better have
an understanding; do you mean to learn engineering, or don't you?'

'I don't see the use of it,' said the other.

'What do you mean? I suppose you must make your living somehow?'

'Arry laughed, and in such a way that Richard looked at him keenly, his
brow gathering darkness.

'What are you laughing at?'

'Why, at you. There's no more need for me to work for a living than
there is for you. As if I didn't know that!'

'Who's been putting that into your head?'

No scruple prevented the lad from breaking a promise he had made to Mr.
Keene, the journalist, when the latter explained to him the disposition
of the deceased Richard Mutimer's estate; it was only that he preferred
to get himself credit for acuteness.

'Why, you don't think I was to be kept in the dark about a thing like
that? It's just like you to want to make a fellow sweat the flesh off
his bones when all the time there's a fortune waiting for him. What have
I got to work for, I'd like to know? I don't just see the fun of it, and
you wouldn't neither, in my case. You've took jolly