"Of course not. I am sure he likes Tom," I said thoughtfully, as I saw how great an alteration had come about at the house, for Linny used to sing about the place now like a bird, and Mary watched over her like a dragon. In fact, Mary was a wonderful institution at Great Ormond Street, and even Mrs Hallett was afraid of her, in so much that Mary's practical ways seemed quite to silence her murmurings, and make her take a more cheerful view of life. "But look here, Grace," said Mr Jabez, "don't you be a young fool. You don't want to grow into an old bachelor like I am." "I don't know that I do," I said. "Then about Linny: does it suit your book for that big child to be coming here and cutting the ground from under your feet?" "Cutting the ground from under my feet?" I said merrily. "Why, what do you mean, Mr Jabez?" "I mean, don't you be a young noodle, and play with your opportunities. Linny's a very nice little girl, and I shouldn't be a bit surprised if some day she had a few--perhaps a good many hundreds of her own. I tell you what it is, Grace, my boy, I shouldn't be a bit displeased if you were to play your cards right, and make a match of it with that little girl." "And I hope, Mr Rowle, you would not be a bit displeased if I did not do anything of the sort?" "H'm-m! No! I don't know that I should, boy. But, hang it all, you are not. You have not any one else in your eye. You are not thinking about Miss Carr, are you, you puppy?" I burst out into a hearty fit of laughter. "No, Mr Rowle," I said merrily. "I never think about such matters, and between ourselves," I said with much severity, "I am surprised to find a quiet elderly gentleman like you taking to match-making." "Get out, you young dog!" he cried. "There, just as you like, only I thought I'd see how you felt about it, that's all." Mr Rowle's words set me thinking, and I could not help seeing that though there was no love-making, or anything out of the ordinary way in their every-day intercourse, Linny's old sorrow had been completely swept away, and she evidently looked upon Tom as a very great friend. I was in my own room one evening reporting progress to Hallett, who had just come in from the office where he still worked as an ordinary journeyman. Mr Jabez was upstairs with Tom Girtley, and a quiet rubber of whist was in progress, when Mary came up into the room to announce that there was some one downstairs who wanted to see me. "Who is it, Mary?" I said. Mary glanced at Hallett, who saw the look and rose to go. "Don't you run away, Hallett," I cried. "I've no one to see me whom you need not know." I stopped there, for the thought flashed across my mind that it might be some one from Miss Carr, or perhaps it might be something to do with John Lister. He saw my hesitation, and said quietly: "I shall be upstairs if you want me, Antony. I think I will go now." He left the room. "Well, Mary, who's the mysterious stranger?" I said.