"And it's my impression," he always added, "that we shall hear more of this invention one of these days. He is a singular fellow--reserved and not easy to read--just the man to carry a purpose in his mind and say nothing of it, and in the end startle the world by accomplishing what he has held in view." Finally, upon one occasion, when his daughter was making her list of invitations for a dinner party they were to give, he turned to her suddenly, with some hesitation in his manner. "Oh--by the way," he said, "there's Murdoch, we've never had Murdoch." She wrote the name without comment. "Who next?" she asked after having done it. "You see," he went on, waveringly, "there is really nothing which could be an obstacle in the way of our inviting him--really nothing. He is--he is all that we could wish." The reply he received staggered him. "It is nonsense," she said, looking up calmly, "to talk of obstacles. I should have invited him long ago." "You!" he exclaimed. "Would you--really?" "Yes," she answered. "Why not?" "Why--not?" he repeated, feebly. "I don't know why not. I thought that perhaps----" and then he broke off. "I wish I had known as much before," he added. When he received the invitation, Murdoch declined it. "I should only be out of place," he said, candidly to Miss Ffrench. "I should know nobody and nobody would know me. Why should I come?" "There is a very good reason why you should come," answered the young woman with perfect composure. "_I_ am the reason." There was no further discussion of the point. He was present and Haworth sat opposite to him at the table. "It's the first time for _him_?" said Haworth to Miss Ffrench afterward. "It is the first time he has dined here with other people," she answered. "Have you a reason for asking?" He held his coffee-cup in his hand and glanced over it across the room. "He is not like the rest on 'em," he said, "but he stands it pretty well, by George!" CHAPTER XXVII. THE BEGINNING. For some time there had hung over the conduct of Mr. Briarley an air of deep mystery. The boon of his society had been granted to his family even less frequently than ever. His habit of sudden and apparently unaccountable disappearance from the home circle after or even in the midst of an argument had become more than usually pronounced. He went out every night and invariably returned under the influence of malt liquor. "Wheer he gets th' brass bangs me," said Mrs. Briarley. "He does na tak' it out o' his wage, that's certain, fur he has na been a ha'penny short fur three week, an' he does na get it o' tick, _that_ I know. Bannett at th' 'Public' is na a foo'. Wheer does he get th' brass fro'?"