To my surprise, she took me tenderly in her arms and kissed me, leading me afterwards to the door, and laying her cheek against my forehead before she let me out.

"Come to me to-morrow, Antony; come again to dinner; perhaps the next day I may be leaving town."

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

HALLETT'S NEW LANDLORD.

A year slipped rapidly away, full of changes for some people, no doubt; but to me it was very uneventful. I worked away at my profession steadily, liking it better every day, and for nothing more strongly than that it gave me knowledge that I felt would be of advantage to Stephen Hallett, with whom I grew more intimate than ever.

The home at Great Ormond Street seemed now less sombre and desolate; for since her serious illness, from which poor Linny had been literally nursed back into life by Mary and Hallett, the girl was completely changed.

As she began to mend, I used to find a great deal of time to go and sit with her; for her return to strength was very slow, and the poor worn face would light up and the great staring eyes brighten whenever I went into the room with some little offering or another that I thought would please her. Sometimes it would be flowers, or fruit, or any little delicacy that I thought she would fancy; but the greatest pleasure I could give her was to take some fresh book, and sit and read.

She used to lie upon a couch near the window, where she could look out upon the sky, and when I was not there I suppose she would lie like that, thinking, for hours, without speaking a word.

Mary had grown to be quite an inst.i.tution at the place, and the two invalids at last took up so much of her time, that a scheme was one day proposed by me, consequent upon an announcement made to me by Hallett.

"We shall be obliged to leave," he said. "The tenants of this house are going away."

"But it will be terrible work, Hallett," I said. "How will Linny and Mrs Hallett bear the change?"

"I hope patiently and well," he said quietly, and the subject dropped; but an idea had occurred to me which I hastened to put in force.

My first step was to write to Miss Carr, whom I had not seen for many, many months, as, directly after the meeting with Mr Lister she had gone on the Continent with her newly-married sister, whose husband had an official appointment at Ma.r.s.eilles, and had resided with her ever since.

I was grievously disappointed at having to part with so good a friend; but she promised to write to me every week, and gave me the strictest injunctions to send to her for advice or help whenever I should find myself in need.

I had no hesitation whatever, then, in asking her in my weekly letter for help to carry out my plan, and that was to find Revitts and Mary the money to buy the lease of the house in Great Ormond Street, so that Mary would be better able to attend to her friends, and, while acting as their landlady, supply me with better rooms as well.

I broached the subject to Revitts and his wife that very evening, and the former nodded.

"How much would it take, Ant'ny?" he said.

"The lease would be a hundred pounds," I said. "Then the rent is eighty."

"That's a deal of money, my dear," said Mary; "and then there's the rates."

"Yes," I said; "but then look here, Mary; I should like a sitting-room as well as a bedroom now, and I could pay you twenty-five or thirty pounds a year for that. I know Mr Hallett pays twenty-six for what he has, and you could, as you often said you would like to, let another floor; for it is a large house. I think you would live rent-free."

"There," cried Revitts, giving the table a slap. "What do you think of that, Polly?"

"Think of what?" she said tartly; for the seriousness of the subject unsettled her.

"What he says. D'ye hear his business-like way of reckoning it up: so much for this here, and so much for that there? He couldn't have talked like that when he come up to London first, as green as a bit o' gra.s.s.

That's my teaching, that is. I knew I could sharpen him up."

"Don't be so conceited, Bill," she exclaimed. "But a large house means lots of furniture, Master Antony. No, I don't think it would do. We haven't enough."

"But I've written to Miss Carr, to ask her to let me have the money for you."

Revitts got up out of his chair, where he was partaking of tea and bread and b.u.t.ter in a rather wholesale style, pulled himself together, b.u.t.toned up his coat, took a couple of official strides to where I sat, and, taking my hand, began shaking it up and down for some moments.

Then he gave Mary three or four wags of the head and nods, and went back to his tea, unb.u.t.toning the while.

"That's very nice and kind of you, Master Antony," she said; "but that money would be only borrowed, and it would have to be paid back again, and sit upon us like lumps of lead till it was--"

"Oh, nonsense, Mary, I don't believe Miss Carr would ever want it back-- I think she'll give me the money. And besides, I mean to furnish my own rooms, so that will be two less."

"Hark at that now!" said Revitts, giving his head a wag.

"I don't want to seem conceited, but I should like to improve my room, and have a place for my books, and be able to bring a friend home to have tea or supper with me when I liked."

"That's quite right," said Revitts approvingly; "but we should want close upon two hundred pounds, Master Ant'ny, you know."

"Yes, you ought to have two hundred and fifty pounds."

Mary shook her head, and seemed to tighten up her face, b.u.t.tering the bread she had before her the while.

"Here, I say, come, Polly, I know we should have to begin saving," said Revitts, in tones of remonstrance; "but don't begin to-night. Stick a little more b.u.t.ter on that there bread."

Mary complied, the meal went on, and I left them at last to talk the matter over, thoroughly upset by my proposals.

They opposed them for some days to come; but when, at last, I received a kind letter from Miss Carr, bidding me tell Mary how glad she was to hear of her plans, and that they were to be sure and include a comfortable bed and sitting-room for me, the day was carried, especially as the letter contained a cheque for 250 pounds; though they would not take all this, the steady, h.o.a.rding couple being able to produce between them enough to pay in full for the lease, which was duly a.s.signed and placed in Revitts' hands by Tom Girtley, who was progressing fast with the firm of solicitors to whom he had been articled.

The first intimation that Hallett received of the change was from Revitts himself, who called one day on his way home to announce with suppressed glee that he was the new landlord, and to ask if there was anything that Mr Hallett would like done.

Hallett stared in astonishment, and then turned sharply to me--

"This is your doing, Antony," he said.

I pleaded guilty.

"Well, what could be better?" I said; "I'm going to have two rooms, and Mary will be always at hand to attend upon us, and you will not have to turn out."

"But the money?" he said, looking at me searchingly.

"Revitts and his wife have been saving people," I replied, "and they had their savings to invest. I don't think they could have done better."

Hallett did not seem satisfied, but he was too much of a gentleman to push his questions home, and the matter dropped. The old tenant of the house moved out at once; Mary had a charwoman at work for a general clean up, and ended by dismissing her for smelling of gin, and doing the cleaning herself; and before a fortnight was over the change had been made, and I was able to congratulate myself on a capital arrangement.

"You think it is now," I said, "Hallett, don't you?"

"I do now, Antony," he said, "for more reasons than one."

"What do you mean?" I said; for he looked very peculiar and stern.