n asked amusedly.

"Oh, yes, I expect so. Peg says he makes his money out of us, that he
squeezes us dry to make himself rich. I think he must be something like
the man who ruined my father," she added.

"Have some more cake?" said the Beggar Man.

"No, thank you."

Faith finished her tea and looked round the room. Hitherto she had only
had eyes for her companion. The shop was not very full.

A girl at the next table was staring at her, and the girl in the cash
desk by the door was staring, too. Faith flushed. Of course, they were
both wondering what she was doing with this man, and once again the
consciousness of her own shabbiness overwhelmed her.

"I think it's time I went home," she said, and broke off sharply as the
door swung open and Peg Fraser walked into the shop.

Faith hardly knew if she was glad or sorry to be so discovered. She
gripped her hands hard.

Peg came slowly down between the tables, her eyes looking to right and
left in search of a vacant seat; suddenly they fell upon Faith.

She made a quick little movement towards her; then stopped, staring.

Faith smiled nervously. She did not know why, but her heart seemed to
stop beating, when Peg turned on her heel without a word or sign of
recognition, and sat down at a table at the far end of the room.

The man had not noticed anything; he turned to ask for his bill.
Presently he looked up at Faith.

"We will go, if you really wish it," he said.

"Please." She followed him from the shop, not daring to raise her eyes
to where Peg sat. Some strange emotion kept her from doing so.

Out in the street the sky had grown overcast. Heavy drops were
spattering the pavement. "We'd better have a taxicab," the man said.

Faith stood on the kerb while he went in pursuit of a taxicab. It seemed
wonderful to her that anybody should have so much money that a taxicab
was an ordinary everyday luxury. It was raining steadily by the time
they drove away. The man pulled up the window.

"My luck's in," he said abruptly. "I wanted to speak to you and it would
not have been possible if we had walked."

His grey eyes searched her wistful face doubtfully, then he went on
again:

"I've taken a fancy to you. There's something about you I like. I should
be very pleased if with all my money I could do something to make your
life happier. I've never seen your mother or the twins, but I should
like to see them."

The colour rose slowly to Faith's face. She was sure