"Providence directed him, and protected him," said Nansie, devoutly, "and will surely smooth the path before us." "With all my heart I hope so," responded Mr. Loveday; "meanwhile, until the better fortune smiles upon us, we must work all the harder, and bring our best courage to bear upon the present." Their conversation was interrupted by a gentle tapping at the door, and, opening it, they saw Timothy Chance, who had a covered basket on his arm which he laid upon the floor, and then respectfully greeted Mr. Loveday and Nansie, who, however, would not be content with this, but shook hands heartily with him. A word of explanation as to Timothy's movements will here be useful. They had not seen him since within a fortnight of the fire which had plunged them so low. When he was convinced that there was no present hope of Mr. Loveday being able to re-establish his business, he had looked out for a situation in the immediate neighborhood, in order that he might be near the friends to whom he was so devotedly attached. But his efforts were not successful; no situation presented itself which he could accept, and as he was driven by necessity, which knows no law, he was compelled to avail himself of an engagement in the country some fifteen miles away, which offered itself in the nick of time. What eventually transpired will be best related in his own words. "You thought I'd forgotten you, sir," he said to Mr. Loveday. "No, my lad, I did not think that. My thought was that you had not been fortunate, and that you kept away out of consideration for us." "Thank you, sir. You have a happy way of saying things. True, too, because I was not very fortunate at first; but there has been a turn in the wheel." "A good turn, Timothy, I hope?" "It will prove so, sir, if I have a head upon my shoulders; always trusting that there are no more fires." "Ah," said Mr. Loveday, "we have had enough of those experiences." "Yes, that we have, sir," responded Timothy, gravely; "but what I say is, 'Never despair.' I have not neglected my studies, sir, and I can give you the Latin words if you like--'_Nil desperandum_.'" Timothy said this proudly, and with a bright eye. "Good lad," said Mr. Loveday. "It is not in you to despair, Timothy. You are the stuff that men are made of, and will run ahead of all of us." "Never so far ahead, sir," said Timothy, wistfully, "that I shall lose sight of the best friends a poor boy ever had; but that sounds like boastfulness." "Not at all, Timothy, not at all. You speak with as much modesty as resolution. This turn in the wheel, my lad--what kind of a turn?" "I think, sir," said Timothy, with a gay laugh, "that you could guess in once." Mr. Loveday glanced at the basket on the floor, and made a guess in merry mood, for Timothy's blithe spirits were contagious. "Eggs, Timothy?" "Yes, sir," said Timothy, laughing again; "you have guessed it in once--eggs. But before I tell you about it"--he turned to Nansie--"how is baby?"