nothing
more would be expected of him. It was not much of a life for a man
of spirit, and at times it became so unbearable that Mr. Cox would
disappear for days together in search of work, returning unsuccessful
after many days with nerves shattered in the pursuit.

Mrs. Cox's meditations were disturbed by a knock at the front door,
and, the servants having been discharged for the season, she hurried
downstairs to open it, not without a hope of belated lodgers--invalids
in search of an east wind. A stout, middle-aged woman in widow's weeds
stood on the door-step.

"Glad to see you, my dear," said the visitor, kissing her loudly.

Mrs. Cox gave her a subdued caress in return, not from any lack of
feeling, but because she did everything in a quiet and spiritless
fashion.

"I've got my Uncle Joseph from London staying with us," continued the
visitor, following her into the hall, "so I just got into the train and
brought him down for a blow at the sea."

A question on Mrs. Cox's lips died away as a very small man who had been
hidden by his niece came into sight.

"My Uncle Joseph," said Mrs. Berry; "Mr. Joseph Piper," she added.

Mr. Piper shook hands, and after a performance on the door-mat,
protracted by reason of a festoon of hemp, followed his hostess into the
faded drawing-room.

"And Mr. Cox?" inquired Mrs. Berry, in a cold voice.

Mrs. Cox shook her head. "He's been away this last three days," she
said, flushing slightly.

"Looking for work?" suggested the visitor.

Mrs. Cox nodded, and, placing the tips of her fingers together, fidgeted
gently.

"Well, I hope he finds it," said Mrs. Berry, with more venom than the
remark seemed to require. "Why, where's your marble clock?"

Mrs. Cox coughed. "It's being mended," she said, confusedly.

Mrs. Berry eyed her anxiously. "Don't mind him, my dear," she said, with
a jerk of her head in the direction of Mr. Piper, "he's nobody. Wouldn't
you like to go out on the beach a little while, uncle?"

"No," said Mr. Piper.

"I suppose Mr. Cox took the clock for company," remarked Mrs. Berry,
after a hostile stare at her relative.

Mrs. Cox sighed and shook her head. It was no use pretending with Mrs.
Berry.

"He'll pawn the clock and anything else he can lay his hands on, and
when he's drunk it up come home to be made a fuss of," continued Mrs.
Berry, heatedly; "that's you men."

Her glance was so fiery that Mr. Joseph Piper was unable to allow the
remark to