evident
blindness to the heroism of Scarfe. He acknowledged warmly Percy's
readiness to come to his help, and his promptitude in going for the
ladder, and he did full justice to Julius's share in the affair. As to
Scarfe's part, he stated just what had happened, without emotion and
without effusiveness.

He despised himself for feeling so chilly on the subject, and would have
been glad, for Mrs Scarfe's sake, had he felt more warmly his
obligations to her son. But he spoke as he felt.

"You have had a narrow escape from a watery grave," said Mrs Scarfe,
anxious to sum up in the hero's favour, "and my son, I am sure, is
thankful to have been the means of saving your life."

Jeffreys bowed.

"I am glad he escaped falling in," said he.

"He had no thought of himself, I am sure," said Mrs Rimbolt severely,
"and claims no thanks beyond that of his good conscience."

"We're going to get him a Royal Humane medal, Jeff," added Percy; "a lot
of fellows get it for a good deal less."

"I hope he may get one," said Jeffreys. "You and Julius should have
one, too. I thank you all."

This was all that could be extracted from this graceless young man, and
the unsatisfactory interview was shortly afterwards terminated by Mrs
Rimbolt's requesting him to go and tell Walker to bring some more coals
for the fire.

His conduct was freely discussed when he was gone. Mrs Rimbolt looked
upon it as a slight put upon herself, and was proportionately wrathful.
Mrs Scarfe, more amiable, imagined that it was useless to look for
gratitude among persons of Jeffreys' class in life. Scarfe himself said
that, from what he knew of Jeffreys, he would have been surprised had he
shown himself possessed of any good feelings. Percy, considerably
puzzled, suggested that he was "chawed up with his ducking." And Raby,
still more perplexed, said nothing, and hardly knew what to think.

The next day, as Scarfe was smoking in the park, Jeffreys overtook him.
A night's rest had a good deal softened the librarian's spirit. He was
ashamed of himself for not having done his rescuer common justice, and
had followed him now to tell him as much.

"Scarfe," said he, "you will have considered I was ungrateful
yesterday."

"You were just what I expected you would be."

"I am sorry," said Jeffreys, now beginning to feel he had better far
have said nothing, yet resolved, now he had begun, to go through with
it, "and I wish to thank you now."

Scarf