It was not long after this that the lad's father apprenticed him to a draper to get a thorough insight into the business. And the shop was not a long way off, so that Chops came home regularly every night, and when he had a half-day's holiday he spent it with Lotty. The girl was not ashamed, but glad to go out with him, despite the cheeky London boys, who were by no means dilatory in drawing attention to the fact that her companion had to a trifling extent exceeded the limits of the ordinarily obese. The crispness of their remarks, however, did not annoy Chops at all. 'W'ich I'm goin' to go in a buster,' he told Lotty in confidence, 'with athletics, an' work hoff this too solid flesh; an' so, has I grows, I'll put hon manly muscle, an' I think, Miss Lotty, 'ow hall my dreams an' ambitions is bound to come true.' Then a happy thought occurred to Lotty: she would take Chops under her educational wing and try to teach him to talk grammatically, to put his 'h's' in their right places, and to read and write correctly. And this, she felt a certainty in her own mind, would be to help him up a step or two in the ladder of life. And Chops was delighted when Lotty bought his first books for him out of her own earnings. But she was well rewarded, for the lad became a hard student in his spare time, and a fairly apt pupil. * * * * * It will be seen further on how Augustus Robb got hold of still another letter written to Aggie by her brother, who was now away touring in his great caravan through Ireland. But Robb did find it, and took good care that the father should see it. And the epistle made an impression on the mind of the proud owner of Manby Hall which was very far indeed from being favourable to his son's future prospects in life. Robb pretended he had not read nor seen this letter, but this is highly improbable. Mr Blake, senior, said nothing about it for a day or two, then testily, one morning, he remarked, while both he and Robb were riding home after a pleasurable survey of the beautiful estate: 'By the way, nephew, as we have no secrets, I may as well tell you that I feel sorry I haven't another son, and one who would meet my views more in accordance with the true spirit of a county man and a Blake.' 'You must take a more rosy view of things, uncle,' said Robb. 'I have noticed of late that you have not been your old hearty self. I really think, sir, a change for a month or two, say to Norway, with its bracing air, would do you good; and I'm quite certain that when you came back you would look upon Frank as a mere romantic boy who will grow up by-and-by into a sturdy, healthy, sober-minded man.'