Lady Susan had abandoned the more fashionable precincts of London to be nearer her chapel and districts, and the Hansom cabman who drove Bertie to Hammersmith had quartered nearly every yard of it before their combined intelligence hit off a square stone house on a bit of a common.

Lady Susan was within, and Du Meresq followed the depressed-looking footman upstairs with as much ease as if he had not been particularly forbidden the house five years ago.  He embraced his aunt affectionately before she had collected herself sufficiently to prevent him, and bowed with the utmost grace to a rather vulgar-looking, self-sufficient lady to whom he was presented.  This person, however, he contrived to sit out in spite of her curiosity.

“And now, Bertie,” said Lady Susan, austerely, “what is it you want?  I know from past experience it is not I alone you come to see.  I warn you though your hopes are vain.  I have, happily, now a more edifying way of spending my poor income than in aiding you in your godless courses.”

“I have come to you, my dear aunt, as the kindest-hearted person I know.  I am in an awful hole.  But let me explain.”  And then he told how he had sold his troop to pay his debts, but had now, war being eminent, recalled his papers, and so owed all the over regulation money obtained in advance.

For once Du Meresq had a good case.  Against her principles almost, Lady Susan listened, and, though pre-determined not to believe a thing he said, his words were making an impression.

“Of course I can get the money; but, going on active service, I should have to pay enormously for it.  And, anyhow,” he continued, “I thought I should like to say good-bye to you, whether you can let me have it or not.”

Bertie’s Irish blarney always peeped out in his dealings with women, and Lady Susan of late had been so unaccustomed to anything of the sort, that her heart began to warm to her scape-grace nephew.  He was so distinguished-looking, too, with the beauty which comes of air and expression, and a certain winning manner, none of which were conspicuous attributes of the disciples of little Bethlehem.  She made him stay to dinner, and Du Meresq, who thought things were looking up, gladly dismissed his Hansom, which had been imparting an unwonted appearance of dissipation to the locality for the last hour.  He could make himself quite as agreeable to an old lady as a young one, and this one was a soldier’s daughter, and Irish into the bargain.  What wonder that her heart beat responsively and her blood fired at the idea of another of her race lending his life to his country!  Bertie, to be sure, would have preferred not having to make capital of that, and objected strongly to being treated as a hero in advance.  However, it was no use quarrelling with the means that had brought his aunt into so promising a frame of mind; and, before he left that evening, he had actually received the promise of a cheque to the amount of Mr. Green’s claims in a few days.