they suddenly ceased
talking.

'Don't cook anything for me,' he said, remaining near the door. 'I'm
going out.'

'But you must have something to eat,' protested his mother. 'See'--she
rose hastily--'I'll get a chop done at once.'

'I couldn't eat it if you did. I dare say you've got some cold meat.
Leave it out for me; I don't know what time I shall get back.'

'You're very unkind, Dick,' here remarked Alice, who wore a mutinous
look. 'Why couldn't you let us go to the theatre?'

Her brother vouchsafed no reply, but withdrew from the room, and almost
immediately left the house. He walked half a mile with his eyes turned
to the ground, then noticed a hansom which was passing empty, and had
himself driven to Hoxton. He alighted near the Britannia Theatre,
and thence made his way by foul streets to a public-house called the
'Warwick Castle.' Only two customers occupied the bar; the landlord
stood in his shirt-sleeves, with arms crossed, musing. At the sight of
Mutimer he brightened up, and extended his hand.

'How d'you do; how d'you do, sir?' he exclaimed. 'Glad to see you.'

The shake of the hands was a tribute to old times, the 'sir' was a
recognition of changed circumstances. Mr. Nicholas Dabbs, the brother of
Daniel, was not a man to lose anything by failure to acknowledge social
distinctions. A short time ago Daniel had expostulated with his brother
on the use of 'sir' to Mutimer, eliciting the profound reply, 'D'you
think he'd have 'ad that glass of whisky if I'd called him Dick?'

'Dan home yet?' Mutimer inquired.

'Not been in five minutes. Come round, sir, will you? I know he wants to
see you.'

A portion of the counter was raised, and Richard passed into a parlour
behind the bar.

'I'll call him,' said the landlord.

Daniel appeared immediately.

'I want a bit of private talk,' he said to his brother. 'We'll have this
door shut, if you don't mind.'

'You may as well bring us a drop of something first, Nick,' put in
Richard. 'Give the order, Dan.'

'Wouldn't have 'ad it but for the "sir,"' chuckled Nicholas to himself.
'Never used to when he come here, unless I stood it.'

Daniel drew a chair to the table and stirred his tumbler thoughtfully,
his nose over the steam.

'We're going to have trouble with 'Arry,' said Richard, who had seated
himself on a sofa in a dispirited way. 'Of course someone's been telling
him, and now the young fool says he's going to throw up work. I suppose
I shall h