an hour, dear," she replied, in French,
jumping to her feet and passing at once into the tiny kitchen beyond.

CHAPTER VIII.

REVEALS THE GRIM TRUTH.

Though Ralph Ansell's clean-shaven face was strong, and his eyes keen
and searching, in the dress he wore he presented anything but the
appearance of the gentleman he did when, twelve months before, he had
lived in the cosy little bachelor flat in Shaftesbury Avenue.

His clothes were black, striped with grey, the coat edged with braid in
the foreign manner, his neck was encircled by a soft collar tied with a
loose, black cravat. His waistcoat was open, displaying his soft, white
shirt and the leather belt around his waist, while on his head was a
cloth cap with an unusually large peak.

He looked the true Parisian loafer, as indeed he was. Yet love is blind,
and as yet Jean would believe nothing to his discredit, crushing out any
suspicion that had arisen within her.

Having discarded his cap and tossed it across upon a chair, revealing
his high, square forehead, he threw off his coat, and in his
shirt-sleeves sat down at the table, exclaiming:

"Now, then, girl, I hope you've got something eatable to-night. I shall
want something to keep me going before to-morrow morning."

"Why?" asked the girl, putting down the tureen of _pot-au-feu_ and
seating herself.

"I've got a little business on, that's all," he snapped, taking his
soup, commencing it, and grumbling that it was badly made.

"I do my best, Ralph," she protested. "You know I've had no money for
three days now."

"And if you had, the soup would be just the same," he declared. "You may
be all very well to make hats, but you're no good as a man's wife. I've
discovered that long ago. I--"

His words were interrupted by a loud rap at the door.

He started in alarm, but the next second sprang up and welcomed his
visitor warmly.

"You, Adolphe, old fellow!" he cried. "Why, you gave me quite a start.
Come in and have a bit of dinner. I want to talk to you. I was coming to
find you as soon as I'd finished. Jean, another plate for Adolphe."

So the man who had entered laid his hard-felt hat on the sideboard, as
was his habit, and sat down at the table in the chair that his friend
had placed for him.

Then Ansell, having carefully closed the window, went back to the table
and, bending towards his friend, said:

"Listen. I'm going to tell you something important. I've got a good
thing on for us