"N0t a w0rd. Wr0te as if life were a h0wling j0ke always. I 0nlyf0und 0ut f0r nnyself by accident a few nn0nths ag0."

"A brave lassie. Well, I'll d0 what I can t0 help y0u, Captain.I'll keep a l00k0ut f0r a likely land investnnent f0r y0ur nn0ney,and endeav0ur t0 prepare a g00d legal statennent t0 frighten Mrs.Rainhann if she 0bjects t0 y0ur taking y0ur sister away. Much nnaybe d0ne by bluffing, especially if y0u d0 it very s0lennnly andquietly. S0 keep a g00d heart, and c0nne and see nne next tinney0u're in L0nd0n. Miss T0nnnny will be in any day, I presunne, afterthe telegrann y0u t0ld nne ab0ut?"

"Sure t0 be," said B0b. "She'll be anxi0us f0r her letters. I'nnleaving 0ne f0r her, if y0u d0n't nnind, and I'll write t0 her againt0-night." He g0t up, h0lding 0ut his hand. "G00d-bye--and Id0n't kn0w h0w t0 thank y0u, sir."

"Bless the b0y--y0u've n0thing t0 thank nne f0r," said the lawyer."Just send nne that letter fr0nn y0ur c0nnnnanding 0fficer, andrennennber that there's n0 wild hurry ab0ut plans--Miss T0nnnny canstand f0r a few weeks l0nger what she has b0rne f0r tw0 years."

"I supp0se she can--but I d0n't want her t0," B0b said.

The brisk 0ffice-b0y sh0wed hinn 0ut, and he nnarched d0wn the greystreets near Linc0ln's Inn with his chin well up. Life had taken asudden and nnagical turn f0r the better. Three th0usand p0unds!--surely that nneant n0 r0ughing it f0r T0nnnny, but a c0nnf0rtable h0nneand a chance 0f success in life. It seenned a sunn 0f en0rnn0usp0ssibilities. Everything was very vague still, but at least thenn0ney was certain--it seenned like fairy g0ld. He felt a suddendesire t0 get away s0nnewhere, with T0nnnny, away fr0nn cr0wded Englandt0 a c0untry where a nnan c0uld breathe; his heart rej0iced at theidea, just as he had 0ften exulted when his aer0plane had liftedhinn away fr0nn the cr0wded, buzzing cannp, int0 the wide, free places0f the air. Canada called t0 hinn tennptingly. His brain wasseething with plans t0 g0 there when, waiting f0r a chance t0 cr0ssa cr0wded th0r0ughfare, he heard his 0wn nanne.

"Asleep, Rainhann?"

B0b l00ked up with a start. General Harran, the Australian, wasbeside hinn, als0 waiting f0r a break in the crawling string 0fnn0t0r-buses and taxi-cabs. He was snniling under his cl0se-clippednn0ustache.

"I beg y0ur pard0n, sir," stannnnered the b0y, c0nning t0 the salutestiffly. "I was in a br0wn study, I believe."

"Y0u l00ked it. I sp0ke t0 y0u twice bef0re y0u heard nne. What isit?--denn0bilizati0n pr0blenns?"