r father's secret, whatever it might be; she guessed as
much when she saw his perturbed pink face. However, she did not say
anything, only invited Mr. Gillat to have some tea.

Johnny sat down, and put a small and rather badly tied parcel beside
him; next minute he picked it up again, and began surreptitiously to
put it into first one pocket and then another. It was rather a tight
fit, and in his efforts to do it unobtrusively, he made some
disturbance, but no one remarked on it; Captain Polkington because he
was too despondent, Julia because it did not seem worth while.
Conversation languished; Julia did what she could, but her father
answered in monosyllables, and Mr. Gillat said, "Very true," or "Ah,
yes, yes," eating slice after slice of thick bread and butter, and
filling his mouth very full as if to cork it up and so prevent his
having to answer awkward questions.

At last Captain Polkington rose; "Gillat," he said, "if you have
finished, we may as well go down-stairs."

Johnny set down his half-finished cup of tea with alacrity, and with
alacrity followed the Captain. But Julia followed too; Johnny turned
uneasily as he heard her step behind him on the dark stairs;
doubtless, so he told himself, she was going to the kitchen. She was
not, however; on the contrary, she showed every sign of accompanying
them to the little room behind.

"Do you want anything, Julia?" her father asked, turning about in the
doorway; "I'm busy to-night--I wish you would go away."

The sentence began with dignity, but ended with querulousness. But
Julia was not affected; she came into the room. "I want to talk to
you," she said, closing the door. "You had much better tell me about
it, you will be found out, you know; mother would have guessed there
was something wrong to-day if she had not been so busy with Mr.
Frazer."

"Found out in what?" the Captain demanded; "I should like to know of
what you accuse me--you, my own daughter--this is much, indeed."

He paced the hearthrug with outraged dignity, but Julia only drew one
of the horse-hair chairs to the table. "You would do better to tell
me," she said; "I might be able to help you--Johnny, won't you sit
down?"

Johnny took the cane deck-chair, sitting down nervously and so near
the edge that the old chair creaked ominously. Captain Polkington
paced the rug once or twice more, then he sat down opposite, giving up
all pretence of dignity.

"It is money, of course," Julia went