hing of her whereabouts? Have they taken
no steps to find her?"

"Well, you see," Johnny answered slowly, "there aren't any steps to
take. They don't want to find her; she is quite well and happy, no
doubt, and she will come back when she is ready. Mrs. Polkington--do
you know Mrs. Polkington? A wonderful woman! She is very busy just
now, she is shining. Miss Cherie is quite a belle. They really have
not--have not accommodation for Julia; it is not, of course, that they
don't want her--they have not exactly room for her."

"But surely they want to know where she is?" Rawson-Clew persisted.

"No, they don't," Johnny told him. "They know she is all right; she
told them so, and told them she did not want to be found. They are
satisfied--" He broke off, feeling that the visitor was more
astonished than admiring of such a state of affairs. "Family emotions
and sentiments, you know," he explained in defence of this family,
"are not every one's strong point; the social, or the religious, or--"
(he waved his hand comprehendingly) "or the national may stand first,
and why not?"

"Are you satisfied?" Rawson-Clew asked briefly.

"I'd sooner be able to see her," Johnny admitted. "I'm fond of her;
yes, she's been very kind and good; I miss seeing her. But, of course,
she has her way to make in the world."

"But are you satisfied that she should make it thus? That she should
leave the Dutch family she was with and disappear, leaving no
address?"

"Sir," Johnny said with dignity, "I am quite satisfied, and if any one
says that he is not, I would be pleased to talk to him."

But the dignity left Mr. Gillat's manner as quickly as it came; before
Rawson-Clew could say anything, he was apologising. "You must forgive
me," he said; "I am very fond of that little girl; and I thought--but
I had no business to think; I'm an old fool, to think you meant--"

"I only meant," Rawson-Clew said, speaking with unconscious
gentleness, "that I was afraid she might be in difficulties. She may
be in trouble about money, or something."

"Oh, no," Johnny said cheerfully; "she has a fine head for money
matters. I have sometimes thought, since she has been gone, that she
has the best head in the family! She's all right--quite right; there's
no need to be uneasy about her. I'll show you the letter she wrote
me."

He opened a shabby pocket-book, and took out a letter. "There, you
read that," he said.

Rawson-Clew read, and at the end was little