mine, though, now she's hooked it."

Billy says this with a grave face, and means no irreverence in thus
speaking of his dead mother.

"Mr Hawkesbury will be almost sorry to see it pulled down," says Jack,
"for he had done so much good there."

"Poor Mr Hawkesbury!" says Mary. "I wish he would have come to us to-
day. But he says he would be happier at his regular work, and we hadn't
the heart to urge him."

"He's good deal happier now, though," says Fred, "since he heard from
his son. In fact, he's had one or two letters, and Hawkesbury really
seems to be turning over a new leaf; so the father is quite hopeful."

There is a pause, and then Jack changes the subject.

"Talking of pulling down places," says he, "I saw an advertisement to-
day, Fred, of the sale of that valuable and desirable place, Stonebridge
House."

"Did you?" says Fred.

And then follows a talk about old school days in which more present are
interested than the two who actually take part.

"It seems a long while since we were there," says Jack.

"It's seven years six months and a week to-day since I left," says Fred.

"Why, how exact you are in your dates!" smiles the young lady.

"It was on the eighteenth of June," replies Fred. "I recollect it
because it was on the twenty-first that I first met you."

He had not meant to say this, and blushes when it escapes him, and for
the next minute or two he occupies himself with his plate. So does the
young lady with hers.

Then the talk drifts off to other subjects, and the party fall to
sketching out the programme of their new life in London. Jack is to be
home to tea every evening at seven, and as Jack's father has not to
leave for his newspaper office till eight, the little family will at any
rate get one hour a day together. And as soon as the spring comes Miss
Mary is going to convert the little strip of garden behind into a second
paradise, and Mr Fred, if he pleases, may come and help her. Indeed,
it is taken for granted that, although his lodging is away in a street
hard by, he is to be considered as free of this house and one of the
family; as also is Billy, provided he does not call Jack "bloke," and
attends diligently to the instructions Miss Mary promises to give him
two evenings a week.

In due time dinner is ended, and the little party once more congregate
round the parlour fire. Scarcely have they assembled when there is a
ring at the door, and next moment a cheery g