"Yes, sir, she is--you'll find 'er first door on the right there. I wonder what 'e wants with 'er," she mumbled, as Gerald made his way along the passage. "No good, I'll be bound. You've been drinkin' 'ard, young man, and wot's more, you'll come to no 'appy end, unless I'm much mistaken." A knock at the door of the room in which Miriam was occupied at her morning's work caused her to bid her visitor to enter. She did not raise her eyes from her work. She was accustomed to be thus disturbed for some trivial matter or other in the morning. For half a minute Gerald stood there looking at her. How beautiful and composed her expression was! He faltered out her name. She paled at the sound of his voice, and rose slowly to her feet, repeating his name in a tone hardly less faltering. In silence their eyes met. "You are surprised to see me?" said Gerald, throwing his hat on a chair and sitting down. "I got your address from Dundas. I thought you would not mind if I came and saw you." A more serious expression came over her face as she looked at him. "I am very glad to see you, Mr. Arkel," she said; "but you look to me terribly ill. Is anything the matter? I am afraid----" She hesitated. "That I've been making a fool of myself?" he finished bitterly. "Well, you're right as usual--I have. And what's more, I'm afraid I shall go on making a fool of myself until I can find someone to give me a helping hand." "But is not Hilda----?" "Hilda!" His face crimsoned, and he bit his lip. "Hilda has given me up. That's all over now!" "Given you up?" She did not know whether she felt glad or sorry. "Yes; given me up. When through the theft of that will I lost everything, she flatly declined to marry me. Her father forbade her to. I saw him--I saw her--and the whole thing was too much for me. I had a kind of fit, I believe." "Poor Mr. Arkel!" "Still Mr. Arkel?--you used to take an interest in me. You used to be my friend." "That I am still; but surely Major Dundas is your friend. Surely he----?" "Oh yes; in a cold-blooded sort of way," replied Gerald listlessly. "He has helped me. He gave me three hundred pounds, and said he would try and get me something to do. Considering that he has all that I should have had, that is not a great deal." "It is very good, I think," replied Miriam. "And what do you think of doing?" "Blessed if I know." He spoke fretfully and with discontent. "The thing is, what am I fit for?"