“Yes, yes; she’s off to London town—­wants to live there, like all the rest of the young people.  In thirty years’ time she’ll have had enough of it, and be glad to creep into a quiet corner like this.  My wife’s in the house, teaching our new maid to make tea-cakes—­you shall have some at five o’clock.  I wonder whether any girl could be found nowadays who knows how to make tea-cakes?  There’s Rosamund—­ she knows no more about that kind of thing than of ship-building.  Do you know any young lady who could make a toothsome tea-cake?”

“I’m not quite sure,” answered Will reflectively, “but I have one in mind who perhaps does—­it wouldn’t surprise me.”

“That’s to your credit.  By the bye, you know that Norbert has been here.”

“Yes, I heard of it.  He wrote to tell me.”

“Aye, but he’s been twice—­did you know that?  He was here yesterday.”

“Indeed?”

Ralph looked at the other with an odd smile.

“One might have expected a little awkwardness between them,” he continued.  “Not a bit of it.  There again—­your girl of to-day; she has a way of her own with all this kind of thing.  Why they just shook hands as if they’d never been anything but pleasant friends.  All the same, as I tell you, Norbert has been a second time.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Warburton.

Will had purposed getting back to the shop about seven o’clock.  He was, indeed, back in London at that hour, but his state of mind tempted him to shirk squalid duty; instead of turning toward Fulham Road, he took his way into the Strand, and there loitered in the evening sunshine, self-reproachful, yet enjoying the unwonted liberty.  It was dinner-time; restaurants exhaled their pungent odours, and Will felt sharpening appetite.  For the first time since his catastrophe, he granted himself the dinner of a well-to-do man, and, as would naturally befall in such a case, made his indulgence large.

Several days passed and brought no letter from any one.  But at midnight on Saturday, there lay awaiting him a letter addressed in Sherwood’s well-known hand.  Godfrey began by excusing himself for his delay in replying; he had had rather a nasty attack of illness, and was only now able to hold his pen.  But it was lucky he had not written before; this very morning there had reached him the very best news.  “The father of the man who owes me ten thousand pounds is dying.  Off and on he has been ill for a long time, but I hear at length that there can be no doubt whatever that the end is near.  I can’t pretend to any human feeling in this matter; the man’s death means life for us—­so the world goes.  Any day now, you may have a telegram from me announcing the event.  Of the prompt payment of the debt as soon as my friend inherits, there is no shadow of doubt.  I therefore urge you very strongly not to make a disclosure.  It will be needless.  Wait till we see each other.  I am still in Ireland—­ for a reason which I will explain when we meet”