n, as you call it; but I must say you look uncommonly
seedy.'

'Do I? Oh, I am all right,' he added hastily. 'I have not been used to
spend a summer in town. How did you get on in Worth Wales, Burnett? I
was never there, but I hear the scenery is beautiful.'

'So it is. You should see some of Jack Cooper's sketches; they would
give an idea of the place;' and Michael launched into an enthusiastic
description of a thunderstorm he had witnessed under Snowdon. 'I took
Booty to pay his devoirs at the tomb of Bethgelert. On the whole, I
think Booty enjoyed his trip as much as we did.'

Michael had so much to say about his trip, that they found themselves on
the platform before he had half finished. It was half-past five by this
time, and a good many business men were returning home. The station was
somewhat crowded, but as they piloted their way through the knots of
passengers Michael still talked on. Cyril had listened at first with
interest; he was becoming much attached to his new friend, and though
his masculine undemonstrativeness forbade him to say much about his
feelings, his gratitude to Michael was deep and intense, and amid his
own troubles he had an unselfish satisfaction in thinking that, whatever
his own future might be, Kester's was safe. By and by his attention
began to flag; he was watching an old man who stood at a little distance
from them at the edge of the platform. He was a very dirty old man, and
at any other time his appearance would certainly not have inspired Cyril
with the wish to look at him a second time; but he was attracted by his
swaying, lurching movements, which would have conveyed to any practised
eye that the old reprobate was in an advanced stage of intoxication.
What if he were to lose his balance and fall over the edge of the
platform? The down train was momentarily expected. Cyril could bear it
no longer.

'Excuse me, Burnett,' he said hastily; 'that old fellow looks as though
he might topple over any minute;' and before Michael could understand
what he meant, he had dived across the platform.

The whistle of the advancing train sounded at that moment, and almost
simultaneously there was a shriek of terror from some woman standing at
the farther end.

'Poor wretch! he has done for himself,' Michael heard someone say. 'He
went clean over.'

Michael was slightly short-sighted, and a crowd of people intercepted
his view, and he could not at once make his way through them. He could