e reply. "No; I know you
can't," he added, hastily, as Mrs. Spriggs raised another objection;
"you've been too well brought up. Still, you can try."

It was a slight comfort to Mrs. Spriggs that Mr. Augustus Price did,
after all, choose a convenient time for his reappearance. A faint knock
sounded on the door two days afterwards as she sat at tea with her
husband, and an anxious face with somewhat furtive eyes was thrust into
the room.

"Emma!" said a mournful voice, as the upper part of the intruder's body
followed the face.

"Gussie!" said Mrs. Spriggs, rising in disorder.

Mr. Price drew his legs into the room, and, closing the door with
extraordinary care, passed the cuff of his coat across his eyes and
surveyed them tenderly.

"I've come home to die," he said, slowly, and, tottering across the
room, embraced his sister with much unction.

"What are you going to die of?" inquired Mr. Spriggs, reluctantly
accepting the extended hand.

"Broken 'art, George," replied his brother-in-law, sinking into a chair.

Mr. Spriggs grunted, and, moving his chair a little farther away,
watched the intruder as his wife handed him a plate. A troubled glance
from his wife reminded him of their arrangements for the occasion, and
he cleared his throat several times in vain attempts to begin.

"I'm sorry that we can't ask you to stay with us, Gussie, 'specially as
you're so ill," he said, at last; "but p'r'aps you'll be better after
picking a bit."

Mr. Price, who was about to take a slice of bread and butter, refrained,
and, closing his eyes, uttered a faint moan. "I sha'n't last the night,"
he muttered.

"That's just it," said Mr. Spriggs, eagerly. "You see, Ethel is going to
be married in a fortnight, and if you died here that would put it off."

"I might last longer if I was took care of," said the other, opening his
eyes.

"And, besides, Ethel don't know where you've been," continued Mr.
Spriggs. "We told 'er that you had gone to Australia. She's going to
marry a very partikler young chap--a grocer--and if he found it out it
might be awk'ard."

Mr. Price closed his eyes again, but the lids quivered.

"It took 'im some time to get over me being a bricklayer," pursued Mr.
Spriggs. "What he'd say to you--"

"Tell 'im I've come back from Australia, if you like," said Mr. Price,
faintly. "I don't mind."

Mr. Spriggs cleared his throat again. "But, you see, we told Ethel as
you was doing well out there," he said, w