"A chap who gets his living by his wits," explained the barrister leisurely, "and Spruce has been at that sort of game for ever so long. He started with a decent income but got rid of it at cards. Cards queered his pitch ultimately, as he was caught cheating and had to clear out. H'm! He's ruralizing at Bethnal Green, is he? I expect he will stay there until his little bad wind blows away. Then he'll try and return. But it's all of no use, Owain, as no one will have the little beast at any price." "He told me quite a different story." "Oh, he would, naturally. Spruce is very good at telling stories. He ought to be a novelist by rights." "That's exactly what he claims to be," retorted Owain, opening his eyes widely. "He said that he had come to Bethnal Green to gather material for a yarn." "Pretty thin," commented Vane, with a shrug, "considering he can't write a single paragraph of King's English without a dozen mistakes. I credited him with sufficient imagination to manufacture a better lie. However, it's useless for us to waste time over Spruce and his shady doings. Cheating at cards has finished him, and now he'll go under altogether. R.I.P. and be hanged to him. But what were you doing at Bethnal Green, old son?" "I thought that a cheap boarding-house down there would suit my pocket." "H'm! You explained that much before, even though I offered to share my pennies with you." "Very good of you, Jim," said Hench hastily and colouring, "but I don't care about shoving my burden on to another man's shoulders. However, a gold mine I had a few shares in turned up trumps, and I have a hundred pounds more or less at my back." "And for that reason you have come West?" "Well, not exactly. If you don't mind being bored with my----" "Nothing you tell me will ever bore me, Owain," interrupted Vane quickly. "It's a girl, I swear. Come, be honest." "Well, there was a girl, but there isn't now," confessed Owain, and while Vane chuckled at his own perspicuity he related what had taken place at The Home of the Muses in connection with Zara, Bracken, Madame Alpenny and Spruce. Vane listened intently, and when Hench ended made his first remark in connection with the Nut, for whom he seemed to have no great love. "The sordid little animal wished to make money out of you, Owain," he said in his shrewd way, "and for that reason made up to you and kept his eye on you." "But he knew that I had no money," protested Hench, puzzled. "These papers at the lawyers' may mean money," retorted the barrister. "I am inclined to agree with that old lady you mention so far. Well, it's only about nine days until your birthday, so you haven't long to wait. And now that you've cut the place--very wisely, I think--Spruce won't be able to line his pockets at your expense. As to the girl--you never did love her." "Well, perhaps you are right. But I admired her."