cutting the pages of _Esmond_ for
their evening reading. How charmed he had been with her gift, although
he had pretended to be angry at her extravagance.

A few particles of snow powdered her as she rang the bell. Marcus
answered it himself.

"Livy, my dear child," he said, quickly, "what an age you have been!
Come into the kitchen a moment, I want to speak to you, and Martha is
upstairs. No, not there," catching hold of her arm as she absently
turned the handle of the parlour door. "I said the kitchen."

"Oh, Marcus, what is it?" in an alarmed voice, as she suddenly
perceived his grave, preoccupied look, "there is something wrong--with
baby," but his smile reassured her.

"Nothing is wrong, I am only a little perplexed. Dot's all right, and
the house is not on fire, and Martha is enjoying her usual health, but
we have got a Christmas guest, that's all."

"Marcus, what can you mean, when we know no one here? Is it one of
your old hospital friends? And why may I not go in and see him?"

"So you shall, but I must explain matters first. I have a poor fellow
in there whom I picked up off a door-step. At first I thought he was
drunk, and I meant to call a policeman, but I very soon found out my
mistake. The poor wretch had fainted from cold and exhaustion, he was
simply starving."

"Oh, how dreadful!" exclaimed Olivia, much shocked at this. "Have you
given him some food? But why is he not here instead of in the
sitting-room? Martha has a capital fire."

"Yes, she has been making him some tea, and luckily there was some cold
bacon. He has had nothing but a penny roll and some coffee since
yesterday morning. Another night of exposure and want would have
killed him. I took him into the parlour because the couch was handy,
but directly he spoke I saw he was a gentleman--at least an educated
man, but his clothes are threadbare. He has parted with his waistcoat
for food. Now you know why I brought you in here, to save you a shock."

"But, Marcus, what are we to do with him?"

"Ah, that is what puzzles me. I have fed and warmed him, and could
give him money for a night's lodging, but he is not fit to move. When
he tried to sit up just now, he nearly fell back from exhaustion. I
should say from the look of him that he has been ill, perhaps in some
hospital, and has not got up his strength. And he is quite young
too--not more than five-and-twenty, I should say."

"May I go and look at him first, an