"You're not in earnest?"

"Yes, I am. And afterwards--you are to keep within your means, or if you
don't I must know the reason why."

Noel grinned with cheery impudence. "You'll swish me, I suppose, to
improve my morals? Wish I had as many sovereigns as I've had swishings.
They would keep me in clover for a year."

Mordaunt laughed rather grimly. "I don't waste my time licking hardened
sinners like you. I've something better to do."

Noel echoed his laugh with keen enjoyment. "You're rather a beast, but I
like you. Have you paid Rupert's debts, too? He is always on the verge of
bankruptcy. Shouldn't wonder if Max is as well, but he keeps his affairs
so dark. I expect he is in the hands of the money-lenders--I know Rupert
was years ago."

"I don't think he is now," Mordaunt said.

"Don't you? What's the betting on that? He could no more keep out of
their clutches than he could fly over the moon. I say"--he suddenly burst
into a peal of boyish laughter--"it's the funniest thing on earth to see
you shouldering the family burdens. How you will wish you hadn't! And
that French beggar you've adopted, too, who is safe to rob you sooner or
later! Why don't you start a home for waifs and strays at once? I'll help
you run it. I'll do the accounts."

Mordaunt laughed, in spite of himself. "Very kind of you! But I think
there are enough of you for the present."

"All highly satisfactory," grinned Noel. "What a pity you didn't marry
Aunt Philippa, I say! She would have been much more useful to you than
Chris. Never thought of that, I suppose?"

"Never!" said Mordaunt.

"Poor old Aunt Phil!" Noel chuckled afresh. "She would have been in her
element if you had only given her the chance. She hates us all like
poison. I suppose you know why?"

"Haven't an idea," Mordaunt spoke repressively, "unless your general
behaviour has something to do with it."

"Oh, very likely it has," Noel conceded. "But the chief reason was that
our father diddled her out of a lot of money. He was hard up, and she was
rolling. So he--borrowed a little." He glanced at Mordaunt with a queer
grimace. "Most unfortunately he didn't live to pay it back. I shouldn't
tell anyone this, but I don't mind telling you, as you are one of the
family."

"And who told you?" Mordaunt inquired.

"Me? I overheard it."

"How?"

The question came sternly, but Noel was sublimely unabashed.

"The usual way. How does one generally overhear things? I hid behind