Sue warned him with a look. "Mr. Balcome will lend it," she said. Balcome did not wait to be asked. From an inside coat pocket he produced a black wallet fat with bills, and pulled away the rubber band that circled it. Tottie viewed the wallet with greedy eyes. "And there's some laundry," she supplemented; "and Mrs. Colter's lunch today--just before you come in, Clare,--and Barbara's." Clare implored her to stop by a gesture. "Twenty," she said to Balcome. "I'll pay it back." Sue took the bills that Balcome held out, and gave them to Tottie. "Keep the change," she suggested, anxious to get the woman away. Tottie recovered her best air. "Wouldn't mention such small items," she explained, "but it's been a bad season, and I haven't had one engagement--not one. As I say,----" "Don't apologize. I can tell a generous woman when I see one." This with a hearty smile. Tottie simpered, shoved the money under the lace of her bodice, and backed out--as a bell began to ring somewhere persistently. Clare had set down the suitcase and the cage. As Sue closed the door and turned to her, the sight of that lowered head and bent shoulders brought the tears to her eyes. "You want to get away?" she asked gently; "you want to be lost again?" The other straightened. "What if I do!" she cried, angrily. "It's my own business, isn't it? Why don't you mind yours?" "Now look here!" put in Balcome, advancing to stand between the two. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Miss Milo came with the kindest intentions in the world----" "No, no," pleaded Sue. And to Clare, "I'm going. I haven't wanted to make you unhappy. And, oh, if you're alone----" "Rot!" interrupted Balcome, impatiently. "She's got relatives right here in the house." He shuffled his feet and swung his hat. "I have not!" Balcome puffed his cheeks with astonishment and anger, and appealed to Wallace. "Didn't she say so?" he demanded. "And that child called her Aunt Clare." "A--child," repeated Sue, slowly. "A--child?" "My--my brother's little girl." "A-a-a-ah!" taunted Balcome. "And ten minutes ago, it was her sister's little girl." He laughed. "My sister-in-_law_!"--she fairly screamed at him. "Oh, I wish you'd go--all of you! How dare you shove your way in here! Haven't I suffered enough? And you hunt me down! And torture me! Torture me!" Wildly, she made as if to drive them out, pushing Sue from her; gasping and sobbing. "Wallace!--Mr. Balcome!" Backing out of Clare's reach, Sue took the two men with her. "Go!--Go!--Go!" It was hysteria, or a very fair imitation of it. Then of a sudden, while her arms were yet upraised, she looked past the three who were retreating and through the door now opening at their back. Another trio was in the hall--Tottie, important and smiling; Mrs. Milo, elbowing her way ahead of the landlady to hear and see; and with her, Farvel, grave, concerned, wondering. "More visitors!" hailed Tottie.