“Yes, sir,” said the clerk (who was a perfect lady).  “What do you want?”

“Don’t I tell ye as we want a couple o’ bedrooms, miss?”

After negotiations she pushed across the counter to him—­two discs of cardboard numbered 324 and 326, each marked 6s. 6d.  He regarded the price as fantastic, but no cheaper rooms were to be had, and Helen’s glance was dangerous.

“Why,” he muttered, “I’ve got a four-roomed cottage empty at Turnhill as I’d let for a month for thirteen shillings, and paper it!”

“Where is your luggage, sir?” asked a muscular demon with shiny sleeves.

“That’s just what we want to know, young feller,” said Jimmy.  “For the present, that’s all as we can lay our hands on.”  And he indicated Helen’s satchel.

His experiences in the lift were exciting, and he suggested the laying of a tramway along the corridor of the fourth floor.  The beautiful starched creature who brought in his hot water (without being asked) found him in the dark struggling with the electric light, which he had extinguished from curiosity and had not been able to rekindle, having lost the location of the switch.

At 10.30 the travellers were seated at a table in the immense dining-room, which was populated by fifteen waiters of various European nationalities, and six belated guests including themselves.  The one item on the menu which did not exceed his comprehension was Welsh rarebit, and he ordered it.

It was while they were waiting in anticipation of this dish that he decided to commence operations upon Helen.  The fact was, he was becoming very anxious to put affairs on a definite footing.  “Well, my girl,” he said, “cheer up.  If ye tak’ my advice ye’ll make up yer mind to stop i’ owd England with yer owd uncle.”

“Of course I will,” she answered, softly; and added:  “If you’ll do as I want.”

“Buy that barracks?”

She nodded.

He was on the very point of yielding; he was on the very point of saying, with grandfatherly, god-like tone of utter beneficence:  “Lass, ye shall have it.  I wouldn’t ha’ given it ye, but it’s like as if what must be—­this luggage being lost.  It’s like as if Providence was in it.”  He was on the very point of this decisive pronouncement, when a novel and dazzling idea flashed into his head.

“Listen here,” he said, bending across the table towards her, “I’ll toss thee.”

“Toss me?” she exclaimed, startled.

“Ay!  I’ll toss thee, if thou’lt stay.  Heads I buy the barracks; tails I don’t, and you live with me in a house.”

“Very well,” she agreed, lightly.

He had not really expected her to agree to such a scheme.  But, then, young women named Helen can be trusted absolutely to falsify expectation.

He took a sixpence from his pocket.

“Heads I win, eh?” he said.

She acquiesced, and up went the sixpence.