stood
revealed in all its bareness. A small table, three wooden chairs, the
little bed, a trunk in the corner, and a washstand, were insufficient
to make it look furnished, garret as it was.

"I recognise the place," said Archibald, depositing his things on the
trunk. "It's quite large and airy. You are lucky to have only the
front walls sloping. But the window gives you a back view, so perhaps
I ought to have said 'back walls.'"

Morgan lighted the fire, and the two sat down before it.

"What have you in that cupboard just by you?" asked Archibald. "I feel
inquisitive. I must get up and poke about.... Coals and crockery," he
enumerated with slow unction, "a saucepan, a coffee-pot, a tea-pot, a
broom, and some exceedingly dirty dusters. My dear Morgan, what a
wonderfully compact place you have here; it's a miracle of
completeness."

"I've given up coffee at night, but I make excellent cocoa. You shall
have some before you go."

"Capital!" said the old fellow. "I'm enjoying myself immensely. This
is quite a picnic."

"I am quite comfortable here," said Morgan, half to himself.

"There's only one suggestion I have to make," said his progenitor,
"and that is you ought to have just a strip of carpet under your feet,
or a small rug would do just as well. Last year at home, now, I had
the carpet taken out of the drawing-room, in favour of a polished
floor, but, Lord bless you, I found myself doing nothing else but
sneezing, in spite of the odd rugs, for in a drawing-room you don't
just happen to think where you're standing. But here when you just sit
down at your table or by your fire it would be so easy to take care
you've got the thing underfoot. I must send you a rug to-morrow--you
know I owe you a birthday present."

"Birthday present! I had forgotten there were such things in the
world. Thank you for reminding me, father. Such gifts, when they are
sincere, add sweetness to life. And it will be nice to have something
of yours here."

The fire blazed up cheerfully. They sat a little while in silence.

"When do you calculate you will get those debts paid off?" asked
Archibald at length.

"Within three years, if all goes well," said Morgan. "I make a lot
extra sometimes, now. I did a little article for a magazine we print
and a little work for another journal. I am friendly with both
editors. Besides, my salary may improve. In fact, my hopes at starting
have been far exceeded."

"And after that?" asked Arch