able to direct her to Mr. Saltram’s chambers, and civilly offered to escort her there; for which service she rewarded him with half-a-crown, instead of the sixpence which he expected as his maximum recompense; she was so glad to have reached the shelter of the dark staircase in safety.  The men whom she had met had frightened her by their bold admiring stares; and yet she was pleased to think that she was looking pretty.

The porter did not leave her until she had been admitted by Mr. Saltram’s boy, and then retired, promising to be in the way to see her back to her carriage.  How the poor little thing trembled when she found herself on the threshold of that unfamiliar door!  What a horrible dingy lobby it was! and how she pitied John Saltram for having to live in such place!  He was at home and alone, the boy told her; would she please to send in her card?

No, Mrs. Branston declined to send in her card.  The boy could say that a lady wished to see Mr. Saltram.

The truth was, she wanted to surprise this man; to see how her unlooked-for presence would affect him.  She fancied herself beloved by him, poor soul! and that she would be able to read some evidence of his joy at seeing her in this unexpected manner.

The boy went in to his master and announced the advent of a lady, the first he had ever seen in those dismal premises.

John Saltram started up from his desk and came with a hurried step to the door, very pale and almost breathless.

“A lady!” he gasped, and then fell back a pace or two on seeing Adela, with a look which was very much like disappointment.

“You here, Mrs. Branston!” he exclaimed; “I—­you are the last person in the world I should have expected to see.”

Perhaps he felt that there was a kind of rudeness in this speech, for he added hastily, and with a faint smile,—­

“Of course I am not the less honoured by your visit.”

He moved a chair forward, the least dilapidated of the three or four which formed his scanty stock, and placed it near the neglected fire, which he tried to revive a little by a judicious use of the poker.

“You expected to see some one else, I think,” Adela said; quite unable to hide her wounded feelings.

She had seen the eagerness in his pale face when he came to the door, and the disappointed look with which he had recognised her.

“Scarcely; but I expected to receive news of some one else.”

“Some one you are very anxious to hear about, I should imagine, from your manner just now,” said Adela, who could not forbear pressing the question a little.

“Yes, Mrs. Branston, some one about whom I am anxious; a relation, in short.”