it
possible or the contrary till I had seen the girl. I myself should be
very capable of falling desperately in love with a girl who hadn't an
idea in her head, and didn't know her letters. All I should ask would
be passion in return, and--well, yes, a pliant and docile character."

"You are right; the character would go for much. Never mind, we won't
speak any more of the subject. It was an absurd question to ask you."

"Nevertheless, you have made me very curious."

"I will tell you more some other time; not now. Tell me about your own
plans. What decision have you come to?"

Waymark professed to have formed no plan whatever. This was not
strictly true. For some months now, ever and again, as often indeed as
he had felt the burden of his schoolwork more than usually intolerable,
his thoughts had turned to the one person who could be of any
assistance to him, and upon whom he had any kind of claim; that was
Abraham Woodstock, his father's old friend. He had held no
communication with Mr. Woodstock for four years; did not even know
whether he was living. But of him he still thought, now that absolute
need was close at hand, and, as soon as Julian Casti had left him
to-day, he examined a directory to ascertain whether the accountant
still occupied the house in St. John Street Road. Apparently he did.
And the same evening Waymark made up his mind to visit Mr. Woodstock on
the following day.

The old gentleman was sitting alone when the servant announced a
visitor. In personal appearance he was scarcely changed since the visit
of his little grand-daughter. Perhaps the eye was not quite so vivid,
the skin on forehead and cheeks a trifle less smooth, but his face had
the same healthy colour; there was the same repose of force in the huge
limbs, and his voice had lost nothing of its resonant firmness.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, as Waymark entered. "You! I've been wondering where
you were to be found."

The visitor held out his hand, and Abraham, though he did not rise,
smiled not unpleasantly as he gave his own.

"You wanted to see me?" Waymark asked.

"Well, yes. I suppose you've come about the mines."

"Mines? What mines?"

"Oh, then you haven't come about them. You didn't know the Llwg Valley
people have begun to pay a dividend?"

Waymark remembered that one of his father's unfortunate speculations
had been the purchase of certain shares in some Welsh mines. The money
thus invested had remained, for the last nine