204 
THE STRAND MAGAZINE, 
He winced. 
“ No, not that — of course, not that.” 
A silence fell between them. At last he 
asked how she had come to lose her train. 
Had the fog been responsible ? 
“ I think,” she said, whimsically, “ I think 
I lost it through spending too much time over 
a cable to Uncle John, saying I was coming 
with to-morrow’s boat.” 
He stared at her. 
“ You — you deliberately lost it ? ” 
“ Yes. You see, 1 found I couldn’t 
decently leave the country without 
paying my debts. What do I owe you 
for theatres and so on, Mr. Wells ? ” 
“ Don’t.” 
“ What do I owe you ” — her voice 
was not so steady — “ for your care of 
me all the time I’ve been here ? I 
“ * GO HOMK. !* SAID TIMOTHY, SO STERNLY, THAT 
HIS BROTJIER-IN LAW GOT HI* AND DEPARTED.” 
see very clearly now how horrid it might have 
been if I had carried out my own plan.” 
“ I assure you,” he struggled, “ it was a 
great pleasure ” 
“ Oh, don’t — don’t be polite. And — how 
could I go away without telling you I was 
sorry about your trouble ? ” 
Timothy drew a long breath and walked 
over to the window. 
“ It is good of you,” he said, huskily. 
“ I — I think the fog is beginning to lift.” 
“ Mr. Wells, I’m going to ask you an im- 
pertinent question. Does this trouble mean 
that you will lose your business ? ” 
“ Oh, no. But 
it means that 
I shall be a 
very poor man 
for several 
years.” 
u Dear me ! is 
that all ? ” 
He turned 
almost fiercely. 
“ It means also 
that I have lost 
my right to 
hope.” 
Her voice 
seemed to come 
from far away ; it 
just reached 
him. 
“ Can’t I help ? 
What’s the use of 
my having money 
when ” 
“ Stop ! ” 
He strode to- 
wards her. 
“Isn’t it 
rather late to 
say ‘Stop’?” 
she sighed. And, 
putting her arms 
on the mantel- 
piece, she bowed 
her face upon 
them. 
He halted, re- 
garding her help- 
lessly. 
“Oh, Flor- 
ence,” he whis- 
pered, “oh, 
Florence ! ” 
A clerk knocked at the door. 
“ The light is on now, sir. Mr. Johnson 
would like to see you.” 
“ Tell him,” said Timothy, huskily, “ tell 
him I’m engaged.” 
The clerk departed — smiling. 
From the mantelpiece came a small 
sob, a small laugh, and a very small 
voice : — 
“ Oh, Timothy l ” 
