After the luxury of Adrien's rooms the mean quality of her own apartment struck the girl more forcibly than usual, and sinking upon the bed, she covered her face with her hands and gave way to a flood of tears. But the weakness did not last long; and after a moment of two, with a sudden gesture, almost Italian in its intensity, she flung back her head and rose from her crouching position. "I will not think of the beautiful place. I will not think of him, she told herself passionately. "But oh! will he be sorry that I ran away, or will he laugh, and ask that proud servant to see that I haven't stolen anything?" She shook her head mournfully at her own distorted reflection in the cracked mirror, then she sighed and went downstairs. Johann had returned, wonderful to relate, still fairly sober; but this was probably due to the necessity of maintaining at least the appearance of sobriety in his transaction on behalf of the gang concerning the sale of the picture. He was counting the coins on the table, some of them gold--for Jessica's quick eyes caught the shimmer of it--and he looked up half fiercely, half contemptuously as the girl entered. "Well, where have been? You're like a cat or a policeman--never to be found when you're wanted. There was a fine lady came to see you this morning--a real swell, my girl." He laughed coarsely. "But of course, you were out of the way. Where had you got to?" "Anywhere, nowhere," replied Jessica, who did not fear him when he was sober, though she hated him always. "Ah, that's the style! The swell lady ought to have heard you talk like that. She'd say I was bringing you up well. Come here and let's have a look at you." Jessica did not move, but stared at him steadily. "What! You won't come?" he said with a grin. "Well, there's something for your obstinacy, you little mule!" He flung a half-crown across to her, and Jessica took it up, then looked him questioningly in the face. "You're thinking I'm mighty generous, eh? So I am, my girl--foolishly generous." He laughed mockingly, "Well, what do you say if all the lot's for you, eh?" "All for me!" repeated the girl, stopping short in her task of making the mantelshelf neat; "all for me!" "Yes, when you get it, little cat! All for you, indeed! No! it's for me; and I've a good mind to take the half-crown back. A fool and his money's soon parted; but he's more idiotic to part with other people's. I'm going out. I shall want some grub when I get back--'arf a pound of steak, an' a pot of porter, an' don't forget the gin. Mind you remember now, or I'll break every bone in your body." With which forcible admonition the man shuffled out. After a few hours he returned, not blindly drunk, but spiteful, ill-tempered, and stupidly brutal. About the same time on that day Adrien Leroy was making his way in the new car through the crowded thoroughfare of Oxford Street.