Mr. Hazeldine began to feel himself _de trop_. Presently he looked at his watch, and then he got up and stood with his back to the fire. There was a grey, earthy look about his face, and a strange glassiness in his eyes. Fanny came up to him. "Are you going now?" she asked. "Yes; the sooner I go, the sooner I shall finish what I have to do." "What a shame that you have to leave home again at this time of night!" "Not a bit of it. Business is business, and must be attended to." There was an assumption of gaiety in his tone which his looks belied. He was gazing down with wistful, yearning eyes into the fair young face before him. Suddenly he enfolded Fanny in his arms and pressed her to his heart; then he kissed her three or four times very tenderly on her lips, her forehead, and her hair. This was a proceeding so entirely novel in Fanny's experience of her father, that for a moment or two she was at a loss what to make of it. Then it struck her, in her little mercenary way, that it would be foolish on her part not to take advantage of such an unwonted burst of paternal affection. Surely, when he kissed her in that way, he could not have the heart to refuse her anything! "Papa, dear," she whispered, "I saw such a lovely pair of earrings in Wilson's window the other day. Turquoises and diamonds. I'm dying to have them." Mr. Hazeldine looked at her vaguely for a moment or two as though his mind were far away. Then he smiled faintly, and said: "Speak to me about them again to-morrow. Yes--to-morrow." "You darling old kangaroo!" she exclaimed, and with that she squeezed his face between her hands and kissed him in her impulsive fashion. "Has Clement been here this evening?" asked Mr. Hazeldine. "No, papa. He does not call so often of an evening now as he used to do. He is nearly always at John Brancker's. Everybody knows why he goes there so often." "I for one don't know, unless it be to play the fiddle." "Oh, that's a mere blind. He goes to see that Hermia Rivers, of course. It's my opinion that he's in love with her." "In love with Hermia Rivers? Well, he might do worse. I don't know a more charming girl than Miss Rivers." "Charming, do you call her?" said Miss Fan, with a toss of her head. "Where are your eyes, papa? You really ought to interfere. There's no doubt she's trying to inveigle Clem into a promise of marriage." "Clement's quite old enough to know his own mind and to judge for himself; and, as I said before, Miss Rivers is a charming girl." He turned lingeringly away, and went up to his wife. "Good-night, Maria," he said. Mrs. Hazeldine was busy discussing some question of _chiffons_ with Mrs. Maywood. She looked up when her husband spoke. "Why do you say good-night?" she asked. "Because I shall not be home till late. You had better not sit up for me." "Very well, dear; you have your latch-key, I suppose. I will have a little gas left on in the hall."