odness knows where, and there's a man sitting down in the hall
refusing to go away until he gets his money, and disgracing me before
the whole hotel. It's for those furs I had sent in the other day. I
decided to keep them, and mailed them to a friend in the country to
house for me. I can't be worried with a lot of goods in a hotel, so she
gives me store-room until we sail. That's where I'm fixed-up, you see.
I can't give him either the goods or the money, and when Silas turns
ugly, goodness only knows when he may come back. Maybe not till late at
night. I'm so mortified I don't know what to do."

Cornelia laughed easily.

"Don't you worry. It's as easy as pie. I'll give you a cheque, and Mr
Moffatt can pay me back in the morning. I'll go and write it out for
you now. What's the damage?"

"Two hundred pounds; Fredburg and Company. You are an angel, Cornelia!
I ken't begin to thank you."

"Don't try, please! What does it matter for a few hours?" cried
Cornelia, brightly. She went into her own room, made out the cheque,
and handed it to her friend, who promptly carried it away, to return at
the expiration of five minutes with a sigh of relief.

"That was one for him. He looked kinder small when he saw your name on
the cheque. It's real sweet of you, dear, and Silas will pay up like a
lamb when you are the creditor. He won't show his temper to you, as he
would to me. You are a stranger, you see, and I'm only his wife."

There was an accent of bitterness in the speaker's voice, and she leant
her head on her hands, in an attitude of profound dejection. Cornelia
had never before been the witness of so abandoned a mood, but her ideas
of loyalty were too much outraged to permit of sympathy. She held her
head erect, and her voice sounded cold and distant.

"I'd just as soon not hear any more about Mr Moffatt, if you don't
mind. He's been very kind to me, and it's not my business how he
behaves. I guess a good many men get crusty when the bills come in, and
you're a pretty expensive wife. I should think you'd get tired of
prowling about those stores!"

Mrs Moffatt flushed, and bit her lower lip, not attempting to defend
herself, but staring before her with weary, vacant eyes. It was a
welcome diversion when a waiter entered the room carrying a tray with
tea and refreshments, and Cornelia waited on her hostess with an
attention which was intended to mitigate her late severity. Although a
fuller acqu