Mr. Walters thanked her warmly and with a natural anxiety regarding his future prospects, paid frequent visits to learn what progress she was making. He haunted the kitchen with the persistency of a blackbeetle, and became such a nuisance at last that Miss Hartley espoused his cause almost with enthusiasm. “He is very much attached to Rosa, but he takes up a lot of her time,” she said to Robert Vyner as they were on their way one evening to Tranquil Vale to pay a visit to Captain Trimblett. “I’ll get him something for Rosa’s sake,” said Robert, softly. “I shall never forget that she invited me to breakfast when her mistress would have let me go empty away. Do you remember?” “I remember wondering whether you were going to stay all day,” said Joan. “It never occurred to me,” said Mr. Vyner in tones of regret. “I’m afraid you must have thought me very neglectful.” They walked on happily through the dark, cold night until the lighted windows of Tranquil Vale showed softly in the blackness. There was a light in the front room of No. 5, and the sound of somebody moving hurriedly about followed immediately upon Mr. Vyner’s knock. Then the door opened and Captain Trimblett stood before them. “Come in,” he said heartily. “Come in, I’m all alone this evening.” He closed the door behind them, and, while Mr. Vyner stood gazing moodily at the mound on the table which appeared to have been hastily covered up with a rather soiled towel, placed a couple of easy chairs by the fire. Mr. Vyner, with his eyes still on the table, took his seat slowly, and then transferring his regards to Captain Trimblett, asked him in a stern vein what he was smiling at Joan for. “She smiled at me first,” said the captain. Mr. Vyner shook his head at both of them, and at an offer of a glass of beer looked so undecided that the captain, after an uneasy glance at the table, which did not escape Mr. Vyner, went to the kitchen to procure some. “I wonder,” said Robert musingly, as he turned to the table, “I wonder if it would be bad manners to—” “Yes,” said Joan, promptly. Mr. Vyner sighed and tried to peer under a corner of the towel. “I can see a saucer,” he announced, excitedly. Miss Hartley rose and pointing with a rigid fore-finger at her own chair, changed places with him. “You want to see yourself,” declared Mr. Vyner. Miss Hartley scorned to reply. “Let’s share the guilt,” continued the other. “You shut your eyes and raise the corner of the towel, and I’ll do the ’peeping’.” The return of the unconscious captain with the beer rendered a reply unnecessary. “We half thought you would be at number nine,” he said as the captain poured him out a glass. “I’m keeping house this evening,” said the captain, “or else I should have been.” “It’s nice for you to have your children near you,” said Joan, softly.