expect? Never mind. Perhaps it's just as well that you
should understand each other from the first."

"Don't be vulgar, Madge. That kind of joke is in the worst possible
taste."

"'Pologise! My vulgar nature, I suppose. _Didn't_ he stare? He looks
shockingly ill. I should say his nerves were overstrained, and he
wouldn't be too pleasant a companion. I hope he won't call."

"People never call in London, child, unless they have some sort of
introduction or a mutual friend. Besides, the porter told me that the
Hermit is quite a celebrity. Why should he call upon us? He writes
articles for the reviews, and long, learned books which no one can
understand. I will never try to, for one. I hope I may never, never
see his face again!" cried Philippa, in a sudden outburst of passion,
for it was really most trying to discover a strange man playing the part
of audience on the one occasion on which she had "let herself go."

Stephen called upon Mr Loftus as suggested, was taken to interview the
eccentric Mr Spence, and eventually decided to accept the offered
opening for Barney. It was not exactly the position which he would have
chosen, but beggars cannot be choosers, and his uncle's influence,
backed by a personal introduction to the manager, seemed to hold out a
reasonable chance of promotion. At the worst, the experience would give
the boy some knowledge of office life, and prevent his running wild over
London, getting into fresh mischief with every hour, as his custom was.

The half-term arrived, and with it Mr Barnard himself. The lad drove up
in a hansom, and smiled patronisingly upon the sisters assembled to
welcome him in the bare entrance-hall. He was nearly as tall as
Philippa herself, and very like her in appearance, though his sparkling
face lacked as yet her characteristic strength and earnestness of
expression. So far, indeed, life had appeared one huge joke to Barney,
and his radiant spirits had suffered no eclipse. He allowed himself to
be kissed and hugged by one sister after another, and was then escorted
up the stone staircase with all the honours of a returned hero, the
while his bright eyes roved from side to side in search of adventure.
He tested the banister, calculated its length from top to bottom, and
offered to race Madge down with a handicap of half a minute. He pointed
to the bottles of fire-extinguishers ranged on each landing, and cried
genially, "We'll start an alarm of fire o