nine years ago now. He was just sixteen."

Mr. Letts--after a calculation--nodded. "Just my age," he said. "I was
twenty-five last March."

"Sailed for Melbourne," said the woman. "My only boy."

Mr. Letts cleared his throat, sympathetically.

"His father died a week after he sailed," continued the other, "and three
months afterwards my boy's ship went down. Two years ago, like a fool, I
married again. I don't know why I'm talking to you like this. I suppose
it is because you remind me of him."

"You talk away as much as you like," said Mr. Letts, kindly. "I've got
nothing to do."

He lit another cigarette, and, sitting in an attitude of attention,
listened to a recital of domestic trouble that made him congratulate
himself upon remaining single.

"Since I married Mr. Green I can't call my soul my own," said the victim
of matrimony as she rose to depart. "If my poor boy had lived things
would have been different. His father left the house and furniture to
him, and that's all my second married me for, I'm sure. That and the bit
o' money that was left to me. He's selling some of my boy's furniture at
this very moment. That's why I came out; I couldn't bear it."

"P'r'aps he'll turn up after all," said Mr. Letts. "Never say die."

Mrs. Green shook her head.

"I s'pose," said Mr. Letts, regarding her--"I s'pose you don't let
lodgings for a night or two?" Mrs. Green shook her head again.

"It don't matter," said the young man. "Only I would sooner stay with
you than at a lodging-house. I've taken a fancy to you. I say, it would
be a lark if you did, and I went there and your husband thought I was
your son, wouldn't it?"

Mrs. Green caught her breath, and sitting down again took his arm in her
trembling fingers.

"Suppose," she said, unsteadily--"suppose you came round and pretended to
be my son--pretended to be my son, and stood up for me?"

Mr. Letts stared at her in amazement, and then began to laugh.

"Nobody would know," continued the other, quickly. "We only came to this
place just before he sailed, and his sister was only ten at the time.
She wouldn't remember."

Mr. Letts said he couldn't think of it, and sat staring, with an air of
great determination, at the sea. Arguments and entreaties left him
unmoved, and he was just about to express his sorrow for her troubles and
leave, when she gave a sudden start and put her arm through his.

"Here comes your sister!" she exclaimed.