rexon will recognize my wisdom when he sees my Dulcinea, bless her!
Humph! I wonder if Hay could pacify my father and make him look more
kindly on my ambitions. Grexon is a clever fellow, a thoroughly good
chap, so--"

Here Paul paused to think. The incident of the working man and the
warning he had given about Hay recurred to his mind. Also the phrase
"Man on the Market" stuck in his memory. Why should Grexon Hay be called
so, and what did the phrase mean? Paul had never heard it before.
Moreover, from certain indications Beecot did not think that the
individual with the bag of tools was a working man. He rather appeared
to be a person got up to play the part. The fellow watching them both
and accosting Paul alone certainly seemed a doubtful character. Beecot
regretted that he had been so short with the man, else he might have
learned why he had acted in this way. The story of the little bill was
absurd, for if Grexon owed the man money the man himself would certainly
have known the name and address of his creditor. Altogether, the
incident puzzled Paul almost as much as that of Aaron's fainting, and he
resolved to question Grexon. But it never crossed his mind that Hay was
anything else but what he appeared to be--a man-about-town with a
sufficient income to live upon comfortably. Had Paul doubted he would
never have asked Grexon to go with him to Gwynne Street. However, he had
done so, and the appointment was made, so there was no more to be said.

The man-about-town duly made his appearance to the very minute. "I
always keep appointments," he explained when Paul congratulated him on
his punctuality; "there's nothing annoys me so much as to be kept
waiting, so I invariably practise what I preach. Well, Paul, and how is
Dulcinea of Gwynne Street?"

"She is very well," replied Paul, who was still a young enough lover to
blush, "but I have not seen her since we last met. I waited for a letter
from my mother about the brooch, so that I might explain to Aaron how
she got it. The old man has been asking after me."

"Oh, confound the brooch!" said Grexon in his cool manner. "I don't want
to hear about it. Let us talk of Dulcinea."

"Rather let us talk of yourself," said Paul.

"Not an interesting subject," replied Hay, rising as Paul opened his
garret door for departure, "you know all about me."

"No! I don't know why you are called a man-on-the-market."

Hay flushed and turned sharply. "What do you mean?" he asked