“I’m not going to give up my wife’s flesh and blood for nothing. ’Tain’t likely--we’re poor folks and the kid earns a little.” “More shame for you--a great hulking brute like you.” “I don’t mind taking five pounds.” “You won’t get a half-penny.” “Then out I goes to fetch a policeman.” He moved towards the door. Irene took a step forward. “You dare threaten me!” she cried. “You! Get out of my house and never let me hear of you again, or, as there’s a Lord in heaven, I’ll put the Children’s Protection Society on your tracks and you’ll see the inside of a gaol.” Whether it was the threat or Irene’s shining eyes that cowed the man, Hugh could not tell. He slunk away with muffled maledictions and banged the street door after him. Hugh ran to meet her, his heart aglow with her. It was the eternal combat of Mithra and Ahriman. He broke into boyish eulogies. She laughed a little excitedly and wiped her lips with her handkerchief. “Let us go back to the smoking-room. The foul beast! The whole air tastes of him.” “You have a delicious way of setting the law of England at defiance,” he said, laughing. “Bad laws ought to be defied,” she retorted, full of the flush of victory. Which exquisitely feminine conviction he had not the heart to disturb. A little later she claimed his assistance in another matter. “It’s the extension of premises for the Institution,” she said. “The plans came in yesterday and I can’t make head or tail of them.” She produced the roll of plans from a corner, and spread the sheets on the desk. They bent over them together, and for a long time were deep in architectural discussion. “It will take such a long time,” she said at last. “I wish I could have it all built to-morrow.” “I have no doubt you could, if you really tried,” said Hugh. “You can bring most things to pass.” The Institution was Irene’s pet philanthropic interest--a charitable organisation of which she was the founder and guiding principle. At first Gerard had scouted the scheme as entirely impracticable; but Irene had succeeded, and, devoting to it her impetuous energy, had lifted those around her to equal enthusiasm. Both Gerard and Hugh were members of the committee, and attended meetings with praiseworthy regularity. Irene rolled up the plans and replaced them in their corner. “How little we can do to alleviate the misery in the world!” she said, with a sigh. Hugh smiled. “If you could only get a lever long enough and a fulcrum you would move the universe, like Archimedes. But you will have to get to heaven first.”