pheres. Yet some of them were
attracted: 'percentage,' 'interest,' 'compound interest,' after all,
there might be something in this! And perhaps they gave their names and
their threepenny bits, engaging to make the deposit regularly on the
day and at the place arranged for in Mutimer's elaborate scheme. What is
there a man cannot get if he asks for it boldly and persistently enough?

The year had come full circle; it was time that Mutimer received another
remittance from his anonymous supporter. He needed it, for he had been
laying out money without regard to the future. Not only did he need it
for his own support; already he and his committee held sixty pounds
of trust money, and before long he might be called upon to fulfil his
engagement and contribute a hundred pounds--the promised hundred which
had elicited more threepences than all the rest of his eloquence. A
week, a month, six weeks, and he had heard nothing. Then there came one
day a communication couched in legal terms, signed by a solicitor.
It was to the effect that his benefactor--name and address given in
full--had just died. The decease was sudden, and though the draft of
a will had been discovered, it had no signature, and was consequently
inoperative. But--pursued the lawyer--it having been the intention of
the deceased to bequeath to Mutimer an annuity of five hundred pounds
for nine years, the administrators were unwilling altogether to neglect
their friend's wish, and begged to make an offer of the one year's
payment which it seemed was already due. For more than that they could
not hold themselves responsible.

Before speaking to Adela, Mutimer made searching inquiries. He went to
the Midland town where his benefactor had lived, and was only too well
satisfied of the truth of what had been told him. He came back with his
final five hundred pounds.

Then he informed his wife of what had befallen. He was not cheerful,
but with five hundred pounds in his pocket he could not be altogether
depressed. What might not happen in a year? He was becoming prominent;
there had been mention of him lately in London journals. Pooh! as if he
would ever really want!

'The great thing,' he exclaimed, 'is that I can lay down the hundred
pounds! If I'd failed in that it would have been all up. Come, now, why
can't you give me a bit of encouragement, Adela? I tell you what it is.
There's no place where I'm thought so little of as in my own home, and
that's a fact.'