"

Shoddy, in as much surprise as I was, promptly obeyed, adding the
interest for the last year and the next.

"Knock off that last six-and-six," demanded my friend.

"But that's for--"

"Knock it off, do you hear?" shouted Flanagan, "and receipt it."

Fancy my astonishment! I had expected to see Shoddy persuaded to
abandon his idea of calling at the office; but this was far more than I
ever dreamt of.

"Oh, Flanagan," I began, "you really--"

"Shut up," said Flanagan. "May as well owe it to me as Shoddy. There,"
added he, putting down the money and giving me the receipt, "and look
here, Mr Shoddy, the next time you try your sharp practice on us I
change my tailor."

"And now," said he, putting a note into my hand, "this will help to
square accounts with Hawkesbury and some of the others. Mind you pay it
back, do you hear?"

Before I could even turn to speak to him he had bolted round the corner
and vanished!

CHAPTER THIRTY.

HOW I PAID OFF A SCORE, AND MADE A RATHER AWKWARD DISCOVERY.

I stood staring at the five-pound note which Flanagan had left in my
hand in a state of utter bewilderment.

My first impulse was to give chase to my benefactor and compel him to
take back the money. My second was to do nothing of the sort, but
rejoice with thankfulness over the help thus unexpectedly sent me.

It was little enough I had done to deserve any one's kindness, and it
was only too reasonable to expect to have to get myself out of my own
troubles. But here, like some good fairy, my old Irish schoolfellow had
stepped on to the scene, and sent all those troubles to the right-about
with a single turn of the hand.

What rejoicings Jack and I had that night over my good fortune! What
careful plans we made for a systematic repayment of the loan! and how
jubilantly I looked forward to handing Hawkesbury back his thirty
shillings in the morning!

Since I had received that letter of his my wrath had somewhat abated
towards him. Much as I disliked and suspected him, still I could not
feel quite certain that he might not after all have meant well by what
he did, however blundering and objectionable a way he had taken to show
it. That, however, did not interfere with my satisfaction now at the
prospect of being quits.

It was a positive luxury, as Jack and I entered the office next morning,
to be able to meet his amiable, condescending smile in a straightforward
way, and not by colouring up and looking