With Revitts better there was no occasion for me to stop in of an evening, and as soon as I could I went on to the Halletts', where I was warmly welcomed by the whole family. Mrs Hallett had a string of troubles to tell me, and interspersed with them I had narratives of how different matters used to be. Linny was very affectionate and kind, but I could see that she looked pale and troubled. Her pretty face lighted up though, whenever her brother spoke, and I noted the air of satisfaction in Hallett's face as he realised how his sister was keeping to her promise. "Well, Antony," he said cheerily, as soon as Mrs Hallett had retired, which was always before nine, Linny going away to attend upon her. "What do you say: shall we go and look at the model?" "Yes," I said eagerly; "I've been longing to have another turn at it." "You are not wearied out then?" "Wearied out?" I cried, laughing; "no, and I never shall be till I see it a success." He sighed, but there was a smile upon his lip at the same time; and leading the way upstairs, we were soon busy over the model. I saw at a glance that it had remained untouched, covered with the black cloth, ever since that unfortunate morning, so that I did not need his confirming words as he spoke: "I thought I would leave it till you came." That night and many more were taken up in separating and repairing the broken parts of the little piece of mechanism, and then came the difficult task--how to contrive so that it should not again break down. The days flew by and became weeks, and the weeks months, but still the problem was not solved. Experiment after experiment was tried without effect, and it seemed as if Hallett's clever brain could only bring the work up to a certain point. Then it required the powers of a second brain to carry it on to perfection. Meanwhile Revitts had gradually recovered, and more than once related to Mary and me how, on that unfortunate night, he had been attracted by a slight scuffle and a woman's cry; that he had run up, and the woman had clung to him, which so enraged the man that he had struck him with the heavy stick that he carried, and that was all. "Should you know the woman again?" I asked, feeling very guilty as the possessor of Linny's secret. "No," he said. "She was only a little thing, quite a girl, and she had her veil down; but I should know the man, and if ever I do get hold of him, if I don't give him a wunner my name ain't Revitts." He was still too ill to resume his duties, but he used to go out for a walk every day, leaning on Mary's arm, Mary herself now taking to the room that had been engaged ostensibly for me. "It's a-coming off, Antony," said Revitts to me one night, when I had returned from the office in high glee; for I had received a note from Miss Carr, saying that she wished to see me the next day, she having just returned to town with her sister from a long round of visits, following a tour on the Continent.