"Yes, and I have given Bridgewater a right good dressing down--meddling old stupid!" Leavesley was greatly taken back at this. "It's not his fault," continued Hancock. "It's your aunt's fault; she put him on to spy. However, it's rather a delicate subject, and we won't pursue it, but"--suddenly and in a friendly tone--"I take it very kindly of you to come round and tell me this." "I thought I'd better come," said the young man; "besides, the thing put me in such a wax. Of course, if he was egged on by aunt, it's not so much his fault." "I take it very kindly of you, and we'll say no more about it." He lapsed into meditation, and Leavesley sat filled with a vague feeling of surprise. Every one seemed a little out of the ordinary to-day. Why on earth did his uncle take this news so very kindly? "I've been thinking," said Hancock suddenly--then abruptly: "How are you financially, now?" "Oh, pretty bad. I had to sell a picture of John the Baptist for five pounds the other day; it was worth twenty." "When your mother married your father," said Hancock, leaning back in his chair, "she flew in the face of her family. He was penniless and a painter." "I don't want to hear anything against my father," said Leavesley tartly. "Yes, he was penniless and a painter, and she married him, and I'm glad she did. She loved him, that was quite enough." "If you will excuse me," said Hancock, "I was going to say nothing against your father. I think a love-match--er--um--well, no matter. I am only stating the facts. She flew in the face of her family, and as a result the money that might have been hers, went to your aunt." "And a nice use she makes of it." "The hundred a year left you by your parents," resumed the lawyer, ignoring this reply, "is, I admit, a pittance. I offered you, however, as the head of the family, and feeling that your mother had not received exactly justice, I offered you the choice of a profession. I offered to take you into this office. You refused, preferring to be a painter. Now, I am not stingy, but I have seen much of the world, and in my experience, the less money a young man has in starting in life, the more likely is he to arrive at the top of the tree. You have, however, now started; I have been making enquiries, and you seem to be working, and I am pleased with you for two things. Firstly, when you came to me the other day for money for a--foolish purpose you didn't lie over the matter and say you wanted the money for your landlady, as nine out of ten young men would have done. Secondly, for coming to me to-day and apprising me of the unpleasant intelligence, to which we will not again refer. I appreciate loyalty." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his note-case. "What's your present liabilities?" "Oh, I owe about ten pounds." "Sure that's all?" "Of course, I'd tell you if it was more; it's somewhere about that."