climbed to
Biffen's chamber. He entered with a cheerful look, and exclaimed:

'I have just invented a riddle; see if you can guess it. Why is a London
lodging-house like the human body?'

Biffen looked with some concern at his friend, so unwonted was a sally
of this kind.

'Why is a London lodging-house--? Haven't the least idea.'

'Because the brains are always at the top. Not bad, I think, eh?'

'Well, no; it'll pass. Distinctly professional though. The general
public would fail to see the point, I'm afraid. But what has come to
you?'

'Good tidings. Carter has offered me a place which will be a decided
improvement. A house found--or rooms, at all events--and salary a
hundred and fifty a year.

'By Plutus! That's good hearing. Some duties attached, I suppose?'

'I'm afraid that was inevitable, as things go. It's the secretaryship of
a home for destitute boys at Croydon. The post is far from a sinecure,
Carter assures me. There's a great deal of purely secretarial work,
and there's a great deal of practical work, some of it rather rough,
I fancy. It seems doubtful whether I am exactly the man. The present
holder is a burly fellow over six feet high, delighting in gymnastics,
and rather fond of a fight now and then when opportunity offers. But he
is departing at Christmas--going somewhere as a missionary; and I can
have the place if I choose.'

'As I suppose you do?'

'Yes. I shall try it, decidedly.'

Biffen waited a little, then asked:

'I suppose your wife will go with you?'

'There's no saying.'

Reardon tried to answer indifferently, but it could be seen that he was
agitated between hopes and fears.

'You'll ask her, at all events?'

'Oh yes,' was the half-absent reply.

'But surely there can be no doubt that she'll come. A hundred and fifty
a year, without rent to pay. Why, that's affluence!'

'The rooms I might occupy are in the home itself. Amy won't take very
readily to a dwelling of that kind. And Croydon isn't the most inviting
locality.'

'Close to delightful country.'

'Yes, yes; but Amy doesn't care about that.'

'You misjudge her, Reardon. You are too harsh. I implore you not to lose
the chance of setting all right again! If only you could be put into my
position for a moment, and then be offered the companionship of such a
wife as yours!'

Reardon listened with a face of lowering excitement.

'I should be perfectly within my rights,' he said sternly, 'if I merely
told her