only words audible being--

"Jest let him, that's all!"

And within the prescribed time he was driving Mrs Jenkles up to Mrs
Lane's wretched lodgings.

Mrs Jenkles passed in, after a word or two with her husband, and saw at
a glance Barney of the black chin smoking in his shop, and Mrs Barney
looking over his shoulder. She took no notice of them, and went
upstairs, to find Mrs Lane looking very pale and much excited, holding
Netta's hand.

"And how's my pretty to-night?" said Mrs Jenkles, after a quick glance
had passed between her and the mother.

"Quite--quite well," said the girl, placing both her hands in those of
Mrs Jenkles, and holding her face to be kissed; but her unnaturally
bright eyes and flushed face contradicted her words, and she kept
glancing timidly towards the door.

"That's right, my dear," said Mrs Jenkles. "Ah! and I see you've got
the trunk packed, and all ready. I've got some flowers for you at home,
and everything waiting; so don't you go looking like that."

"She has been a little frightened today," said Mrs Lane; "the people
downstairs--"

"Oh, don't you mind them," said Mrs Jenkles. "They don't like losing
good lodgers, now it comes to the point, with all their grumbling. Have
you paid your bit of rent?"

"Yes," said Mrs Lane; and she glanced anxiously at her child, whose
alarm seemed to increase.

"I see," said Mrs Jenkles, in her most business-like way. "Now, look
here, the thing is to get it over quickly. Have you got everything
there?" and she pointed to a trunk and carpet-bag.

"Yes, everything," said Mrs Lane.

"Then I'll call up Sam to take them down to the cab."

"No, no--stop!" exclaimed Netta. "Oh! mamma, had we not better stop?
That man--what he said this morning!"

"There, there, my pretty," said Mrs Jenkles, "don't you be alarmed.
You leave it to me."

Then going to the window, she signalled to Sam, who was busy tying knots
in his shabby whipthong.

As Mrs Jenkles turned from the window, the door was thrown open, and
Mrs Sturt, looking very aggressive, entered the room, closely followed
by her lord, smoking his black pipe of strong, rank tobacco.

Netta shrank timidly back into her seat, catching at her mothers hand,
while the result of the tobacco-smoke was to set her coughing painfully.

"Now if you please," said Mrs Sturt, "I want to know what this means?"

And she pointed to the trunk and the other manifest signs of departure.

"I told you a