ket. Joan felt strongly
tempted to argue the matter with him, but discretion proving wiser than
valour, she left him to his spoils and retired into the other room. She
would not leave the place, she decided, in case Miss Bacon did turn up;
it would be very disagreeable for her to have to face such a man by
herself.

By lunch time the man stalked away full of threats as to what he would
do, and Edith went with him. Joan stayed on till six, and there was
still no sign of Miss Bacon. It was strange that she should neither have
telephoned nor written.

Over dinner at Shamrock House that night she told Rose Brent the story
of her fortnight's adventure, ending up with the rash impulse which had
led her to pay up the four guineas because Miss Bacon had seemed in such
bitter need. The girl met her tale with abrupt laughter.

"I am afraid what your unpleasant acquaintance of this morning told you
is probably true," she said. "After all, if you went and handed out four
guineas it was a direct temptation to the poor old woman to get away
on."

"I don't believe she would take it just for that," Joan tried to argue.
"I know she wanted it awfully badly, but it was to help her pull through
and things were going to run better afterwards. I don't believe she
would just take it and slip away without saying a word to me."

"Faith in human nature is all very well," the other answered, "but it is
awfully apt to let you down, especially in the working world."

"I shall go on believing for a bit," Joan said; "she was looking so
awfully ill yesterday, it may just be that she could not come up to
office to-day."

"May be," Rose agreed. "When you are tired of waiting for the return of
the prodigal let me know and I will see if I cannot get you in
somewhere. I ought to be able to help. And look here, my child, never
you pay another penny for tuition on those lines; you could get all the
learning you need at the County Council Night Schools, and it is a good
deal cheaper."

Joan put in two days at No. 2, Baker Street, waiting for the return of
Miss Bacon or for some message which might explain her absence, but
nothing and no one came. On the morning of the third day she found that
the stout and bad-tempered man had carried out his vague threats. The
place had been taken possession of, already they were removing the
typewriters and tables under the direction of a bailiff. Even the plate
bearing Miss Bacon's name had vanished, and boards a