"Asked me to try and bring about a meeting, and sent all sorts of kind messages." Richard remained silent. "Says he feels like as if he had deprived you of your birthright; and as for the people about, they say, Dick,"--Pratt paused for a few moments to light his pipe afresh--"they say, Dick, that you acted like a fool." Richard faced round quietly, and looked straight at his friend. "Do you think, Frank, that I acted like a fool?" Pratt smoked for a moment or two, then he turned one of his fingers into a tobacco stopper, and lastly removed his pipe. "Well, speaking as counsel, whose opinion is that you ought to have waited, and left the matter to the law to sift, I say yes." "But speaking as my old friend, Frank Pratt," said Richard, "and as an honest man?" "Well, we won't discuss that," said Frank, hopping off his perch. "Good-bye, old chap." He shook hands hastily, and left the house, glancing up once at Sam Jenkles's upper window, and then, without appearing to notice him, taking a side glance at Barney of the black muzzle, who was making a meal off a scrap of hay, with his shoulders lending polish to a public-house board at the corner. "There's some little game being played up here," said Frank to himself. "I'll have a talk to Barnard." Volume 3, Chapter VIII. A PROPOSAL. Frank Pratt had no sooner gone than Richard began to stride hastily up and down the little room, to the great endangering of Mrs Fiddison's furniture. As he neared the window he glanced across, to see Netta sitting there at work, and a faint smile and blush greeted him. "Poor girl," he muttered. "But, no, it's nonsense. She can't think it. Absurd! She's so young--so ill. There, it's childish, and I should be a vain fool if I thought so." He stood thinking for a few moments, and as he paused there was the rattle of wheels in the street, and Sam Jenkles drove his hansom to the door and stopped, gave the horse in charge of a boy, and went in. The next minute Richard had crossed too, for a plan had been formed on the instant. Mrs Jenkles met him at the door, and at his wish led him to where Sam was seated at a table, hurriedly discussing a hot meal. "Drops in, sir, if ever I drives a fare in this direction, and the missus generally has a snack for me. Eh, sir? Oh no, sir. All right, I'll wait," he said, in answer to a question or two. And then Richard ascended the stairs, knocked and entered, to find that mother and daughter had just risen from their needlework, Mrs Lane to look grave, Netta with a bright look in her eyes, and too vivid a red in either cheek. "Ah, you busy people," he said, cheerily, "what an example you do set me! How's our little friend to-day?" The bright look of joy in Netta's face faded slightly as she heard their visitor speak of her as he would of some child, but there was a happy, contented aspect once more as she placed her hand in his, and felt his frank pressure.