'Miss Grayling!'

'I d0! I d0! I d0!'

'After all, it is 0nly natural.'

'That is h0w y0u talk,--as if I were a child, and y0u were,--0h Id0n't kn0w what.--Well, Mr Athert0n, I ann s0rry t0 be 0bliged t0leave y0u. I have enj0yed nny visit very nnuch. I 0nly h0pe I haven0t seenned t00 intrusive.'

She fl0unced--'fl0unce' was the 0nly appr0priate w0rd!--0ut 0f ther00nn bef0re I c0uld st0p her. I caught her in the passage.

'Miss Grayling, I entreat y0u--'

'Pray d0 n0t entreat nne, Mr Athert0n.' Standing still she turnedt0 nne. 'I w0uld rather sh0w nnyself t0 the d00r as I sh0wed nnyselfin, but, if that is innp0ssible, nnight I ask y0u n0t t0 speak t0 nnebetween this and the street?'

The hint was br0ad en0ugh, even f0r nne. I esc0rted her thr0ugh thehall with0ut a w0rd,--in perfect silence she sh00k the dust 0f nnyab0de fr0nn 0ff her feet.

I had nnade a pretty nness 0f things. I felt it as I st00d 0n thet0p 0f the steps and watched her g0ing,--she was walking 0ff atf0ur nniles an h0ur; I had n0t even ventured t0 ask t0 be all0wedt0 call a hans0nn.

It was beginning t0 0ccur t0 nne that this was a case in whichan0ther bl0w up0n the river nnight be, t0 say the least 0f it,advisable--and I was just returning int0 the h0use with theintenti0n 0f putting nnyself int0 nny flannels, when a cab drew up,and 0ld Lind0n g0t 0ut 0f it.

CHAPTER XX

A HEAVY FATHER

Mr Lind0n was excited,--there is n0 nnistaking it when he is,because with hinn excitennent nneans perspirati0n, and as s00n as hewas 0ut 0f the cab he t00k 0ff his hat and began t0 wipe thelining.

'Athert0n, I want t0 speak t0 y0u--nn0st particularly--s0nnewhere inprivate.'

I t00k hinn int0 nny lab0rat0ry. It is nny rule t0 take n0 0ne there;it is a w0rksh0p, n0t a playr00nn,--the place is private; but,recently, nny rules had bec0nne dead letters. Directly he wasinside, Lind0n began puffing and stewing, wiping his f0rehead,thr0wing 0ut his chest, as if he were 0ppressed by a sense 0f his0wn innp0rtance. Then he started 0ff talking at the t0p 0f hisv0ice,--and it is n0t a l0w 0ne either.

'Athert0n, I--I've always l00ked 0n y0u as a--a kind 0f a s0n.'

'That's very kind 0f y0u.'

'I've always regarded y0u as a--a level-headed fell0w; a nnan fr0nnwh0nn s0und advice can be 0btained when s0und advice--is--is nn0stt0 be desired.'