“Why on the quiet?” demanded Mr. Kybird, sharply.

The boarding-master uttered an impatient exclamation.  “Becos if Mr. Swann got to ’ear of it he’d guess I’d been blabbing, for one thing,” he said, sharply, “and for another, ’e left it to ’im partly to make up for ’is disappointment—­he’d been disappointed ’imself in ’is younger days, so ’e told me.”

“Suppose ’e managed to get enough strength to alter ’is will?”

Mr. Kybird shivered.  “It takes time to get married, though,” he objected.

“Yes,” said Mr. Smith, ironically, “it does.  Get round young Teddy, and then put the banns up.  Take your time about it, and be sure and let Mr. Swann know.  D’ye think ’e wouldn’t understand wot it meant, and spoil it, to say nothing of Teddy seeing through it?

“Well, wot’s to be done, then?” inquired the staring Mr. Kybird.

“Send ’em up to London and ’ave ’em married by special license,” said Mr. Smith, speaking rapidly—­“to-morrow, if possible; if not, the day after.  Go and pitch a tale to Teddy to-night, and make ’im understand it’s to be done on the strict q.t.”

“Special licenses cost money,” said Mr. Kybird.  “I ’ave ’eard it’s a matter o’ thirty pounds or thereabouts.”

Mr. Nathan Smith rose, and his eyes were almost expressive.  He nodded good-night to the ladies and crossed to the door.  Mrs. Kybird suddenly seized him by the coat and held him.

[Illustration:  “Mrs. Kybird suddenly seized him by the coat.”]

“Don’t be in a ’urry, Nat,” she pleaded.  “We ain’t all as clever as you are.”

“Talk about looking a gift-’orse in the mouth—­” began the indignant Mr. Smith.

“Sit down,” urged Mr. Kybird.  “You can’t expect us to be as quick in seeing things as wot you are.”

He pushed his partly mollified friend into his chair again, and taking a seat next him began to view the affair with enthusiasm. “’Melia shall turn young Nugent off to-night,” he said, firmly.

“That’s right,” said the other; “go and do a few more silly things like that and we shall be ’appy.  If you’d got a ’ead instead of wot you ’ave got, you wouldn’t talk of giving the show away like that.  Nobody must know or guess about anything until young Teddy is married to ’Melia and got the money.”

“It seems something like deceitfulness,” said Miss Kybird, who had been listening to the plans for her future with admirable composure.

“It’s for Teddy’s own sake,” said Nathan Smith.  “Everybody knows ’e’s half crazy after you.”

“I don’t know that I don’t like ’im best, even without the money,” said Miss Kybird, calmly.  “Nobody could ’ave been more attentive than ’im.  I believe that ’e’d marry me if ’e ’ad a hundred thousand, but it looks better your way.”

“Better all round,” said Nathan Smith, with at approving nod.  “Now, Dan’l, ’op round to Teddy and whistle ’im back, and mind ’e’s to keep it a dead secret on account o’ trouble with young Nugent.  D’ye twig?”