him, sir?"

"Yes, when you are gone. But he won't speak while you are in the room."

Susan drooped her head and rose dolefully. "My dream is gone," she
said mournfully, "though I was improving myself in spelling and figures
so that I might go out as a governess and perhaps meet him in high
circles."

"Ah, that's all Family Herald fiction," said Jennings, not unkindly.

"Yes! I know now, sir. My delusions are gone. But I will do anything
I can to help Mr. Mallow and I hope he'll always think kindly of me."

"I'm sure he will. By the way, what are you doing now?"

"I go home to help mother at Stepney, sir, me having no call to go out
to service. I have a happy home, though not fashionable. And after my
heart being crushed I can't go out again," sighed Susan sadly.

"Are you sorry to leave Rose Cottage?"

"No, sir," Susan shuddered, "that dead body with the blood and the
cards will haunt me always. Mrs. Pill, as is going to marry Thomas
Barnes and rent the cottage, wanted me to stay, but I couldn't."

Jennings pricked up his ears. "What's that? How can Mrs. Pill rent so
expensive a place."

"It's by arrangement with Miss Saxon, sir. Mrs. Pill told me all about
it. Miss Saxon wished to sell the place, but Thomas Barnes spoke to
her and said he had saved money while in Miss Loach's service for
twenty years--"

"Ah," said Jennings thoughtfully, "he was that time in Miss Loach's
service, was he?"

"Yes, sir. And got good wages. Well, sir, Miss Saxon hearing he
wished to marry the cook and take the cottage and keep boarders, let
him rent it with furniture as it stands. She and Mrs. Octagon are
going back to town, and Mrs. Pill is going to have the cottage cleaned
from cellar to attic before she marries Thomas and receives the
boarder."

"Oh. So she has a boarder?"

"Yes, sir. She wouldn't agree to Thomas taking the cottage as her
husband, unless she had a boarder to start with, being afraid she and
Thomas could not pay the rent. So Thomas saw Mr. Clancy and he is
coming to stop. He has taken all the part where Miss Loach lived, and
doesn't want anyone else in the house, being a quiet man and retired."

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" said Jennings in three different tones of voice. "I think
Mrs. Pill is very wise. I hope she and Thomas will do well. By the
way, what do you think of Mr. Barnes?"

Susan did not leave him long in doubt as to her opinion. "I think he
is a stupid fool," she said, "and it's a