, had sunk down to the society of his wife's class.

"I have seen so little of it," replied Ida. "I have only passed through
London twice, on my way from France to Herondale, and from Herondale
here." Mr. Joseph was duly impressed by the sound of Herondale.

"Oh, you must tell me all about your old home," he said, with an air of
overconfidence to conceal his nervousness; "and we must show you about
London a bit; it's a tidy little place."

He grinned with an air of knowingness, and seemed rather disconcerted
that Ida did not return his smile.

"Shall I give you some water, Ida?" said Mr. Heron. "I regret that I
cannot offer you any wine. We have no intoxicants in the house. We are
all total abstainers, on principle."

The other members of the family looked down uncomfortably, and, to
Ida's surprise, as if they were ashamed.

"Thank you," she said; "I do not care for wine."

"I am afraid there are a great many things you will miss here," said
Mr. Heron. "We are a plain, but I trust, Godfearing family, and we are
content with the interest which springs from the daily round, the
common task. You will find no excitements at Laburnum Villa."

Ida, as she glanced at the family, could not help feeling that they
were indeed plain, but she made haste to say that she did not need any
excitements and that her life had hitherto been devoid of them. They
seemed to think that it was the proper thing to sit round the table
while she was making her pretence of a meal; but when it was finished,
Mr. Joseph stretched himself out in what was erroneously called an
easy-chair, and proceeded to monopolise the conversation.

"Regular busy time in the city," he remarked to his father. "Never saw
such a hum. It's all over this boom in South Africa. They're floating
that new company I was telling you about, and the Stock Exchange is
half wild about it. They say the shares will run to a hundred per cent.
premium before the week's out; and if you've got any money to spare,
guv'nor, I should recommend you to have a little flutter; for it's a
certainty."

Mr. Heron seemed to prick up his ears with an amount of worldly
interest which scarcely harmonised with his saintly character.

"What company is that?" he asked Joseph.

"The company started to work Sir Stephen Orme's," replied Joseph,
thrusting his hands deep into his pockets, and stretching out his legs
still farther so that he could admire his large, patent-leather clad
feet. "It's