"Oh, yes, m'm." He tried to persuade himself that this sublime confidence was characteristic of great ladies, and a laudable symptom of aristocracy. But he would have preferred her to be a little less confident. After all, in the hands of a conductor less honourable than himself, of a common conductor, the purse might not have been so "all right" as all that! He would have preferred to witness the change on Mrs Vernon's features from desperate anxiety to glad relief. After all, £50, 10s. was money, however rich you were! "Have you got it with you?" asked Mrs Vernon. "Yes'm," said he. "I thought I'd just step up with it myself, so as to be sure." "It's very good of you!" "Not at all," said he; and he produced the purse. "I think you'll find it as it should be." Mrs Vernon gave him a courtly smile as she thanked him. "I'd like ye to count it, ma'am," said Chadwick, as she showed no intention of even opening the purse. "If you wish it," said she, and counted her wealth and restored it to the purse. "_Quite_ right--_quite_ right! Fifty pounds and ten shillings," she said pleasantly. "I'm very much obliged to you, Chadwick." "Not at all, m'm!" He was still standing in the sheltered porch. An idea seemed to strike Mrs Clayton Vernon. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked. "Well, thank ye, m'm," said Thomas. "Maria," said Mrs Vernon, calling to someone within the house, "bring this man a glass of beer." And she turned again to Chadwick, smitten with another idea. "Let me see. Your eldest daughter has two little boys, hasn't she?" "Yes'm," said Thomas--"twins." "I thought so. Her husband is my cook's cousin. Well, here's two threepenny bits--one for each of them." With some trouble she extracted the coins from a rather shabby leather purse--evidently her household purse. She bestowed them upon the honest conductor with another grateful and condescending smile. "I hope you don't _mind_ taking them for the chicks," she said. "I _do_ like giving things to children. It's so much _nicer_, isn't it?" "Certainly, m'm." Then the servant brought the glass of beer, and Mrs Vernon, with yet another winning smile, and yet more thanks, left him to toss it off on the mat, while the servant waited for the empty glass. IV