atched at the key, but he had just possessed himself of it and was
swinging it from his forefinger.

"I don't know," she snapped. "I was going up there, anyway. You can't
have the key to-day."

"Why not?" Philip asked in surprise.

"Never mind. There are some things of mine up there. I--"

She broke off. They both looked at her, perplexed. Philip shook his head
good-naturedly.

"Miss Grimes," he said, "you forget that the rooms are mine till next
quarter day. I promise you we will respect any of your belongings we may
find there. Come along, Elizabeth."

"We'll see you as we come down," the latter promised, nodding pleasantly,

"I don't know as you will," the girl retorted fiercely. "I may not be
here."

They climbed the last two flights of stairs together.

"What an extraordinary young woman!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Is there any
reason for her being quite so rude to me?"

"None that I can conceive," he answered. "She is always like that."

"And yet you took an interest in her!"

"Why not? She is human, soured by misfortune, if you like, with an
immense stock of bravery and honesty underneath it all. She has had a
drunken father practically upon her hands, and life's been pretty sordid
for her. Here we are."

He fitted the key into the lock and swung the door open. The clear
afternoon light shone in upon the little shabby room and its worn
furniture. There were one or two insignificant belongings of Philip's
still lying about the place, and on the writing-table, exactly opposite
the spot where he used to sit, a little blue vase, in which was a bunch
of violets. Somehow or other it was the one arresting object in the room.
They both of them looked at it in equal amazement.

"Is any one living here?" Elizabeth enquired.

"Not to my knowledge," he replied. "No one could take it on without my
signing a release."

They moved over to the desk. Elizabeth stooped down and smelt the
violets, lifted them up and looked at the cut stalks.

"Is this where you used to sit and write?" she asked.

He nodded.

"But I never had any flowers here," he observed, gazing at them in a
puzzled manner.

Elizabeth looked at the vase and set it down. Then she turned towards her
companion and shook her head.

"Oh, my dear Philip," she sighed, "you really don't know what makes that
girl so uncouth?"

"You mean Martha? Of course I don't. You think that she ... Rubbish!"

He stopped short in sudden confusion. Elizabeth pas