Nancy, seated at the table, turned to greet her father.  In early life, Stephen Lord must have been handsome; his face was now rugged, of unhealthy tone, and creased with lines betokening a moody habit.  He looked much older than his years, which were fifty-seven.  Dressed with excessive carelessness, he had the appearance rather of one at odds with fortune than of a substantial man of business.  His short beard was raggedly trimmed; his grizzled hair began to show the scalp.  Judging from the contour of his visage, one might have credited him with a forcible and commanding character; his voice favoured that impression; but the countenance had a despondent cast, the eyes seemed to shun observation, the lips suggested a sullen pride, indicative of some defect or vice of will.

Yet in the look which he cast upon her, Nancy detected a sign of more amiability than she had found in him of late.  She addressed him with confidence.

‘Early to-day, father.’

‘Yes.’

The monosyllable sounded gruff, but again Nancy felt satisfaction.  Mr. Lord, who disliked to seat himself unless he were going to keep his position for some time, took the offered beverage from his daughter’s hand, and stood with it before the fireplace, casting glances about the room.

‘How have you felt, father?’

‘Nothing to complain of.’

His pronunciation fell short of refinement, but was not vulgar.  Something of country accent could still be detected in it.  He talked like a man who could strike a softer note if he cared to, but despises the effort.

‘I suppose you will have a rest to-morrow?’

‘I suppose so.  If your grandmother had lived,’ he added thoughtfully, ’she would have been eighty-four this week on Thursday.’

‘The 23rd of June.  Yes, I remember.’

Mr. Lord swallowed his tea at two draughts, and put down the cup.  Seemingly refreshed, he looked about him with a half smile, and said quietly: 

’I’ve had the pleasure of punishing a scoundrel to-day.  That’s worth more than the Jubilee.’

Nancy waited for an explanation, but it was not vouchsafed.

‘A scoundrel?’ she asked.

Her father nodded—­the nod which signified his pleasure that the subject should not be pursued.  Nancy could only infer that he spoke of some incident in the course of business, as indeed was the case.

He had no particular aptitude for trade, and that by which he lived (he had entered upon it thirty years ago rather by accident than choice) was thoroughly distasteful to him.  As a dealer in pianofortes, he came into contact with a class of people who inspired him with a savage contempt, and of late years his business had suffered considerably from the competition of tradesmen who knew nothing of such conflicts between sentiment and interest.  A majority of his customers obtained their pianos on the ’hire-purchase system,’ and oftener than not, they were persons of very small