get money. But I hope it won't be
long before you go."

On the next morning but one, a letter came by the post for him from Lady
Ongar. When he saw the handwriting, which he knew, his heart was at once
in his mouth, and he hesitated to open his letter at the breakfast
table. He did open it and read it, but, in truth, he hardly understood
it or digested it till he had taken it away with him up to his own room.
The letter, which was very short, was as follows:

Dear Friend:--I felt your kindness in coming to me at the station so
much! the more, perhaps, because others, who owed me more kindness,
have paid me less. Don't suppose that I allude to poor Hermione,
for, in truth, I have no intention to complain of her. I thought,
perhaps, you would have come to see me before you left London; but I
suppose you were hurried. I hear from Clavering that you are to be
up about your new profession in a day or two. Pray come and see me
before you have been many days in London. I shall have so much to say
to you! The rooms you have taken are everything that I wanted, and I
am so grateful!

Yours ever,

J. O.

When Harry had read and had digested this, he became aware that he was
again fluttered. "Poor creature!" he said to himself; "it is sad to
think how much she is in want of a friend."

Chapter VII

Some Scenes in the Life of a Countess

About the middle of January Harry Clavering went up to London, and
settled himself to work at Mr. Beilby's office. Mr. Beilby's office
consisted of four or five large chambers, overlooking the river from the
bottom of Adam Street in the Adelphi, and here Harry found a table for
himself in the same apartment with three other pupils. It was a fine old
room, lofty, and with large windows, ornamented on the ceiling with
Italian scroll-work, and a flying goddess in the centre. In days gone by
the house had been the habitation of some great rich man, who had there
enjoyed the sweet breezes from the river before London had become the
London of the present days, and when no embankment had been needed for
the Thames. Nothing could be nicer than this room, or more pleasant than
the table and seat which he was to occupy near a window; but there was
something in the tone of the other men toward him which did not quite
satisfy him. They probably did not know that he was a fellow of a
college, and treated him almost as they might have done had he