t Christmas."

"What is his name--or her name?"

"Oh, it was a 'he,'" said Miss Greeb, smiling.

"Mrs. Bensusan prefers gentlemen, who are out of doors all day, to
ladies muddling and meddling all day about the house. I must say I do,
too, Mr. Denzil," ended the lady, with a fascinating glance.

"What is his name, Miss Greeb?" repeated Lucian, quite impervious to the
hint.

"Let me see," said Miss Greeb, discomfited at the result of her failure.
"A queer name that had to do with payments. Bill as the short for
William. No, it wasn't that, although it does suggest an account.
Quarterday? No. But it had something to do with quarter-days. Rent!"
finished Miss Greeb triumphantly. "Rent, with a 'W' before it."

"W-r-e-n-t!" spelled Lucian.

"Yes. Wrent! Mr. Wrent. A strange name, Mr. Denzil--a kind of charade,
as I may say. He was with Mrs. Bensusan six months; came to her house
about the time Mr. Berwin hired No. 13."

"Very strange!" assented Lucian, to stop further comment. "What kind of
a man was this Mr. Wrent?"

"I don't know. I never heard much about him," replied Miss Greeb
regretfully. "May I ask why you want to know all this, Mr. Denzil?"

Lucian hesitated, as he rather dreaded the chattering tongue of his
landlady, and did not wish his connection with the Vrain case to become
public property in Geneva Square. Still, Miss Greeb was a valuable ally,
if only for her wide acquaintance with the neighbourhood, its
inhabitants, and their doings. Therefore, after a moment's reflection,
he resolved to secure Miss Greeb as a coadjutor, and risk her excessive
garrulity.

"Can you keep a secret, Miss Greeb?" he asked, with impressive
solemnity.

Struck by his serious air, and at once on fire with curiosity to learn
its reason, Miss Greeb loudly protested that she should sooner die than
breathe a word of what her lodger was about to divulge. She hinted,
with many a mysterious look and nod, that secrets endangering the
domestic happiness of every family in the square were known to her, and
appealed to the fact that such families still lived in harmony as a
proof that she was to be trusted.

"Wild horses wouldn't drag out of me what I know!" cried Miss Greeb
earnestly. "You can confide in me as you would in a"--she was about to
say mother, but recollecting her juvenile looks, substituted the word
"sister."

"Very good," said Lucian, explaining just as much as would serve his
purpose. "Then I may tell you, Miss