cessary trimming of hers. "It is nice to
have a fire," she said, striving not to cough at the choking smoke; "I
don't need it a bit, but I don't know anything I should have enjoyed
more; why, I haven't seen a real fire since I left England!"

She broke off to take the tongs from Mr. Gillat, who, in his efforts
to improve the draught, had managed to shut the register. She opened
it again, and in a little had the fire burning nicely. Johnny looked
on and admired, and at her suggestion opened the window to let out the
smoke. After that she managed to persuade the blind down, and, what is
more, mended it so that it would go up again; then Mr. Gillat cleared
the dressing-table and pulled it out into the middle of the room, and
by that time supper was ready--fried steak and onions and bottled
beer, with jam puffs and strong black coffee to follow--not exactly
the things for one lately suffering from seasickness, but Julia tried
them all except the bottled beer and seemed none the worse for it. And
as for Johnny, if you had searched London over you could have found
nothing more to his taste. He was a little troubled at the thought of
what Julia must have spent, but she assured him she had her wages, so
he was content. Seldom was one happier than Mr. Gillat at that supper,
or afterwards, when the table was cleared and they drew up to the
fire. They sat one each side of the fender on cane-seated chairs, the
coffee on the hob, and Johnny smoking a Dutch cigar of Julia's
providing. One can buy them at the railway stations in Holland, and
she had scarcely more pleasure in giving them to Johnny than she had
in smuggling home more than the permitted quantity.

"Now tell me about things," Julia said.

Johnny's face fell a little. During supper they had talked about her
affairs and experiences, none of the unpleasant ones; she was
determined not to have the supper spoiled by anything. Now, however,
she felt that the time had come to hear the other side of things.

"I suppose father has been to town?" she remarked; she knew only too
well that nothing else could account for Mr. Gillat's reduced
circumstances. "When did he go?"

"He has not been gone much more than a week," Johnny said; "think of
that now! If he'd stayed only a fortnight more he'd have been here
to-night; it is a pity!"

"I don't think it is at all," Julia said frankly; "the pity is he ever
came."

Johnny rubbed his hand along his chair. "Well, well," he said, "yo