for you, with pleasure?"

"Really," said Mr. Woodstock, who could behave with much courtesy when
he chose, "I must apologise for taking such liberties. Our acquaintance
is so slight. And yet I believe you would willingly serve me in the
matter in hand. Perhaps you guess what it is. Never mind; I could speak
of that when I came to you, if I have to come."

Julian's pale cheek had flushed with a sudden warmth. He looked at the
other, and faced steadily the gaze that met his own.

"I am absolutely at your disposal," he said, in a voice which he tried
to make firm, though with small success.

"I am obliged to you. And now you will come and have something to eat
with me; it is my usual time."

Julian declined, however, and almost immediately took his leave. He
walked all the way to Chelsea, regarding nothing that he passed. When
he found himself in his lodgings he put a match to the ready-laid fire,
and presently made himself some tea. Then he sat idly through the
evening, for the most part staring into the glowing coals, occasionally
taking up a book for a few minutes, and throwing it aside again with a
sigh of weariness. As it got late he shivered so with cold, in spite of
the fire, that he had to sit in his overcoat. When it was past midnight
he began to pace the room, making impatient gestures, and often resting
his head upon his hands as if it ached. It must have been about a
quarter to one when there was the sound of a vehicle pulling up in the
street below, followed by a knock at the door. Julian went down
himself, and admitted Mr. Woodstock.

"What can it mean?" he asked anxiously, when they had walked up to the
room together. "What has become of him?"

"Don't know. I stopped at his place on the way here."

"Don't you fear some mischance? With all that money--"

"Pooh! It's some absurd freak of his, I'll warrant. He doesn't care how
much anxiety he gives other people."

Mr. Woodstock was excited and angry.

"But he will certainly go--go _there_ in the morning, wherever he is,"
said Julian.

"I'm not so sure of that. I believe it's on that very account that he's
keeping out of the way!"

He smote his fist on the palm of the other hand with the emphasis of
conviction. Julian looked at him with an expression of wonder. There
was a short silence, and then Mr. Woodstock began to speak more calmly.
The conversation lasted only about a quarter of an hour. Mr. Woodstock
then returned to his cab, which had wa