"Not now," I said. "There was one, but it ended unhappily. He was a blackguard," I said warmly.

"Was he, though?" he said eagerly. "That's right, Grace, I like to see you have some spirit. Poor little la.s.sie! No father, either."

"Mr Hallett is more like a father to her than a brother," I replied, as I thought it would be better not to mention John Lister's name.

"Father--father--" said the old man dreamily. "How curious it must be to feel that one is the father of anything; that it is your own, and that it loves you. Now, do you know, Grace, I never thought of that before."

"You have always been such a business man, Mr Rowle," I said.

"Yes--yes, grinding on every day, without a thought of anything but other people's mistakes, and none about my own. You like little Miss Linny there--downstairs?"

"Oh yes," I cried; "she always seems to have been like a sister ever since I knew her."

"Hum! Hah! Yes! Like a sister," he said thoughtfully. "Well, she's a very nice little girl, Grace, and I like her; but you need not tell her so."

"Oh no, of course not, Mr Rowle," I said, laughing. "Shall we go upstairs?"

"Yes, my boy, directly.

"But look here, Grace," he continued, fumbling in his pocket, and bringing out a newspaper slip. "Hum! hah! oh, here it is. Read that."

He pointed to an advertis.e.m.e.nt of an elderly couple without children, wishing to adopt a young girl; and I read it, and then looked at him wonderingly.

"I suppose that sort of thing is done sometimes, eh?" he said.

"I don't know, Mr Rowle," I replied.

"Hum! No, of course you don't," he said thoughtfully, after another pinch. "Come along upstairs, my boy, and let's look at the machine."

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.

MR JABEZ HAS A SPASM.

There had been some little dispute about the drawing up of the terms between Hallett and Mr Rowle. The former would not listen to the old gentleman's proposition that it should be settled by a letter between them, saying that it ought to be a proper legal doc.u.ment, for both their sakes; and the knot was solved, as they did not wish to consult a solicitor, by my proposing to bring Tom Girtley home with me some evening, when the legal training he was undergoing might prove sufficient for the purpose.

It was settled to be so, and a few evenings later, I called in Lincoln's Inn Fields, at the offices where Tom was now engaged, and he accompanied me to Great Ormond Street.

Mary had had her instructions to have a "high tea" ready for us, and her ideas of delicacies took the form of hot baked potatoes and cold lobsters; and upon these, with shouts of laughter, we made an attack, for it was wonderful in those days what the youthful digestive organs would conquer without fail. Tom Girtley had several times been to my apartments, but I had never introduced him to the Halletts, for there had been too much trouble in connection with Linny's illness for their rooms to be attractive to a casual visitor.

But now times were altered; Hallett looked brighter, Linny was nearly her own merry pretty self again, and Mrs Hallett, perhaps, a little less weak and despondent, which is not saying much.

Tom Girtley had altered very much since we had become friends, having started ahead of me, and a year had changed him from a boy into quite a man, at whose hirsute appendages I used to look with perhaps just a trace of envy. There was something very frank and manly about him, and he had all a boy's love of a bit of fun; but at the same time, he was full of shrewdness and common-sense, the former being rubbed daily by his profession into a keener edge.

All in good time Mr Jabez arrived, according to what was fast growing into a regular custom, and he favoured Tom Girtley with a short nod and a very searching look. Then together we went upstairs, where I saw Mr Jabez frown as our legal visitor was introduced to Mrs Hallett and Linny, the latter blushing slightly at Tom's admiring gaze.

The old man uttered a sigh of relief then as Linny rose and helped Mrs Hallett to leave the room during the transaction of the business, and I noted that he was very snappish and abrupt while the arrangement went on.

It was very simple, and soon done, Tom Girtley drawing up first on foolscap a draft of the arrangement, which was agreed to on both sides, and then transferred to a couple of stamped papers, signed and witnessed, one being kept by each party to the transaction.

All this was done in so satisfactory a manner to Mr Jabez that he became somewhat less abrupt to my companion, and even went so far as to say that he had never seen a legal doc.u.ment which pleased him so well.

"Not so many heirs, executors, administrators, and a.s.signs, young gentleman," he said gruffly. "You lawyers have made a lot of money out of those parties in your time. Now, don't you think we might ask the ladies to step back?"

This was done, and we had a very pleasant evening, Tom Girtley winning golden opinions for his merry ways, even bringing a smile to Mrs Hallett's pale face; and at last, when it was time to go, Hallett exclaimed:

"Of course, we shall see you again, Mr Girtley?"

"May I come?" he said eagerly.

"If you can find any pleasure in our rather dull home," replied Hallett.

"Good--"

He was going to say, "gracious," but he refrained, and looked in a puzzled and amused way at Mr Jabez, who had kicked out one leg under the table, and his foot had come in contact with his host.

"Spasm!" said Mr Jabez abruptly; and when Tom Girtley went down with me the old man remained.

"Well, Tom, what do you think of my friends the Halletts?" I said, as we went down to the door.

"I'm delighted with them," he cried. "I like Hallett; and as for his sister--I say, Tony, are you making play there?"

"Making play?"

"There, don't be so innocent, man alive! Are you in love with her?"

"What nonsense! No."

"Then I am," he said. "I wouldn't have poached on your preserves, but it's all over with me now. Alas, poor me! so soon, and I am barely twenty. Good-night, old boy, and thanks for a pleasant evening."

"Don't be in such a hurry," I exclaimed. "I'm going a little way with you."

He was in high spirits, and we were just crossing the street, when we came suddenly upon John Lister--so suddenly, that Tom observed my start.

"Who's that?" he said quickly.

"One of our black clouds," I said bitterly.

"Black clouds?" he said, in a puzzled tone.

"And yours, too," I said, "if you talk like you did just now."

"I like solving knotty points," he said; "but you must give me a clue."

"Not to-night, Tom," I said. "Say good-night now. Some other time."

"All right, my mysterious youth," he cried, laughing; and after shaking hands, I hurried back, to find Mr Jabez standing at the door.

"Oh, here you are," he said. "I am just waiting to say good-night. I say, Grace, is that fellow square?"