misdoings of her son and the failure of a
bank, she was in much distress. All intercourse with the family had
dropped since my father's death, but the present vicar, casting about
for means of helping her, had elicited that the Arghouse family were
the only relations she knew of, and had written to ask assistance for
her.

"I will go and see about her," said Harold. So he shouldered his bag,
walked into Mycening, and started in the tender, the only place where
he could endure railway travelling. Four days later came this note:

"Thursday.

"My Dear Lucy,--Send the carriage to meet Mrs. Alison at 4.40 on
Saturday. Your affectionate

"H. A."

I handed the note to Eustace in amazement, but I perceived that he,
like his cousin, thought it quite simple that the home of the head of
the family should be a refuge for all its waifs and strays, and as I
was one myself, I felt rebuked.

I went to Mycening in the carriage, and beheld Harold emerge from a
first-class, extracting therefrom one basket after another, two
bird-cages, a bundle, an umbrella, a parcel, a cloak, and, finally, a
little panting apple-cheeked old lady. "Here's Lucy! that's right."
And as both his hands were full, he honoured me with a hasty kiss on
the forehead. "She'll take care of you, while I get the rest of it."

"But, oh!--my dear man--my pussy--and--and your wadded cloak--and,
oh--my sable muff--your poor papa's present, I would not lose it for a
thousand pounds!"

I found the muff, which could not easily be overlooked, for it was as
big as a portmanteau, and stuffed full of sundries. "Oh dear yes, my
dear, thank you, so it is; but the cat--my poor pussy. No, my dear,
that's the bantams--very choice. My poor little Henry had them given
to him when he was six years old--the old ones I mean--and I've never
parted with them. 'Take them all,' he said--so good; but, oh dear.
Tit! Tit! Tittie! He was playing with her just now. Has anyone seen
a tabby cat? Bless me, there it goes! So dreadful! It takes one's
breath away, and all my things. Oh! where is he?"

"All right," said Harold. "There are your boxes, and here's your cat,"
showing a striped head under his coat. "Now say what you want
to-night, and I'll send for the rest."

She looked wildly about, uttering an incoherent inventory, which Harold
cut short by handing over articles