ck to the old
quarters?'

She did not reply.

'You won't tell me?'

'You must come or stay away, as it suits you,' she said, in a tone of
indifference.

'Very well, then I shall come, if it's only to tell you about 'Arry and
Alice. And now will you let Alice come up and have some tea with you?'

There was no answer.

'Then I'll tell her she may,' he said kindly, and went from the room.

He found Alice in the drawing-room, and persuaded her to go up.

'Just take it as if there 'd been nothing wrong,' he said to his sister.
'She's had a wretched time of it, I can see that. Take some tea-cakes up
with you, and talk about going back to the Square as if she'd proposed
it herself. We mustn't be hard with her just because she can't change,
poor old soul.'

Socialistic business took him away during the evening. When he returned
at eleven o'clock, 'Arry had not yet come in. Shortly before one there
were sounds of ineffectual effort at the front-door latch. Mutimer, who
happened to be crossing the hall, heard them, and went to open the door.
The result was that his brother fell forward at full length upon the
mat.

'Get up, drunken beast!' Richard exclaimed angrily.

'Beast yourself,' was the hiccupped reply, repeated several times
whilst 'Arry struggled to his feet. Then, propping himself against the
door-post, the maligned youth assumed the attitude of pugilism, inviting
all and sundry to come on and have their lights extinguished. Richard
flung him into the hall and closed the door. 'Arry had again to struggle
with gravitation.

'Walk upstairs, if you can!' ordered his brother with contemptuous
severity.

After much trouble 'Arry was got to his room, thrust in, and the door
slammed behind him.

Richard was not disposed to argue with his brother this time. He waited
in the dining-room next morning till the champion of liberty presented
himself; then, scarcely looking at him, said with quiet determination:

'Pack your clothes some time to-day. You're going to Wanley to-morrow
morning.'

'Not unless I choose,' remarked 'Arry.

'You look here,' exclaimed the elder, with concentrated savageness which
did credit to his powers of command. What you choose has nothing to
do with it, and that you'll please to understand. At half-past nine
to-morrow morning you're ready for me in this room; hear that? I'll have
an end to this kind of thing, or I'll know the reason why. Speak a word
of impudence to me and I'll knoc