The Market-Place

d habit of catching trains at the last possible moment did not take him by surprise. He smiled dryly, aud nodded to the illuminated dial, as if they shared the secret of some qua

y fitted him no longer; they began to fall away from him. Now, as he stood here on the bustling platform, it was as if they had all disappeared-been left somewhere behind him outside the station. With the two large ba

minence; the jaw and chin, revealed now for the first time in perhaps a dozen years, seemed of a sickly colour, and, in some inexplicable way, misshapen. Many times during the day, at his office, at the restaurant where he lunched, at various outfitters' shops which he had visited, he had pursued the task of getting reconciled to this novel vis

of it, the delight he had had during the day in buying new shirts and handkerchiefs and embroidered braces, in looking over the various stocks of razors, toilet articles, studs and sleeve-links, and the like, and telling the gratified tradesmen to give him the best of everything-this delight had been distinctively boyish. He doubted, indeed, if any mere youth could have risen to the heights of tender satisfaction from which he reflected upon the contents of his

sit, an old Mexican outfit of yellowish-grey cloth and leather, much the worse for rough wear, but saved from the disreputable by its suggestion of picturesque experiences in a strange and romantic country. At least it had seemed to him, in the morning, when he had packed it, to be secure in t

ed to buy the tickets himself, and have everything in readiness on the arrival of his host. As it was, he could not even tell the porter how his luggage was to be labelled, and there was now less than two minutes! He moved forward briskly, with the thought of intercepting his friend at the front of the s

ivilly-spoken young man came up, touched his hat, and ask

cated the glaringly new bags-and then only half repressed a cr

your things," said the latter, as they sho

a first-class compartment with a low bow and a deprecatory wave of the hand, and then impressively locked the door upon them. "The engine will be the other way, my Lo

ped out a green flag which he had been holding furled behind his back, and extended it at arm's length. The train began slowly

uite does me up. And you-you've been sticking at it months on end, haven't you? You look rather fagged-or at all events you did yesterday. You've s

ack. He noted with a kind of chagrin that his companion's was an ordinary low black bowler. "I can tell you, I SHALL be glad of the change. I would have boug

ed to dismiss the subject. He took a cigar c

as up late last night-turned out late this morning, been late all day, somehow-couldn't catch up

like a hen with her head cut off. But it's fun, though, aint it, eh? Just to happen to remember every once in

on the platform, and a number of them shook the handle of the locked door. There was an effect of curses in the sound

one of those fellows have a key. They're an awful bore on this train. I almost never go by it, for that reason. Ah, thank God we're off!-But as I was saying, this thing makes a greater difference to

d with eloqu

along with a title and an empty pocket. I daresay that I ought to have stuck to it, because it isn't nearly so bad now, but twelve years ago it was too cruel for any youngster who had any pride about him-and, of course, my father having made rather a name in the Army, that made it so much harder for me. And after that, what was there? Of course, the bar and medicine and engineering and those things were out of the question, in those days at least. The Church?-that was more so still. I had a try at politics-but you need money there as much as anywhere else-money or big family connections. I voted in practically every division for four years, and I made the rottenest speeches you ever heard of at Primrose League mee

, in English politics

nt on, speaking diagonally across to his companion, between leisurely intervals of absorption in his cigar. "There have been some directors' fees, no doubt, and once or twice I've come ver

and seven tho

uestion-how much of i

e smothered them under the smile with which he felt impelled to answer the twi

rang the bell. It was that that made me come to you as I did-and tell you that you were a great man, and that I wanted to enlist under you. Ah, that kind of courage is so rare! Whe

didn't look as if you were frightened. From all one could see, y

e or six minutes there when my life wasn't worth a last year's bird's-nest-and I tell you, sir, I was the scaredest man that ever drew the breath of life. And then something happened to be said that put the matter right-they saw I was the wrong man-and then-why then they couldn't be polite enough to me. They half emptied their flasks down my throat, and they rode with me all

rightened; we will say that it was itself frightened. But the other part of you, the part that was transacting business, so

shook h

seemed as if cowardice were getting complete mastery of him. And then suddenly it occurred to him that very likely the enemy was just as afraid of him as he was of the enemy, and that moment his bravery all returned to him. He went in and gave the other man a terrible thrashing. It doesn't apply to your case, particularly-bu

mbered your sayin

asn't the least good. Nobody knew anything about them. It seems they related to something that was burned up in the Great Fire-either that, or had disappeared before that time. That fire seems to have operated like the Deluge-it cancelled everything that had happened previously. My unhappy father had a genius for that kind of investment. I shall have great pleasure in showing you tomorrow, a very picturesque and comprehensive collection of Confederate Bonds. Their face value is, as I remember it, eighty thousand dollars-that is, sixteen thousand pounds. I would entertain with joy an offer of sixteen shillings for the lot. My d

erated expression of sympathy upon his face. The voice in which

ave this place of yours in the country, and preserve game and so on-but of course I see what you mean. It's wh

Hever. The title died with him. He left three daughters, who inherited his estates, and my mother, being the eldest, got the Kentish properties. Of course Hadlow House will come to me eventually, but it is hers during her lifetime. I may spe

said the other, with

a mild voice and a soft heart. He gave a certain military distinction to the peerage, but he played hell-and-tommy with the fortune. And then I come: I can't be either a Chancellor or a General, and I haven't a penny to bless myself with. You can't think of a more idiotic box for a man to be in. But now-thanks to you-there comes this prospect of an immense change. If I have money at my back-at once everything is different with me. People will remember then promptly enough that I am a Hadlow, as well

ed him. "Rubber Consols can go up

a long sigh of content. "I'm not going to say another word about myself," he announced, pleasantly. "I've had more than my legitimate innings. You mustn't think that I

right," said the o

-just as it has upon me. There are things in plenty that we've dreamed of doing, while the power to do them was a long way off. It doesn't at all follow that the

y ahead. I guess I've got my plans worked out a trifle more than you think. They may not be very definite, as

one so, turning abruptly first to stare out of the window, then shifting his position on the seat, and at last

it relieved even more than it surprised him to see also that Thorpe appeared not to mind. The

f reassurance. "I can do it right enough, so far as the big things are

ad been guilty of an unpardonable lapse into snobbishness-and toward a man, too, who had been capable of behaviour more distinguished in its courtesy and generosity than any he had

the other's quizzical smile-"don't think I doubt anything about you

laughed

though, that I'm a publ

eigned surprise. "No-I didn't k

een. But my father wouldn't carry the thing any further. He insisted on my going into the shop when I left St. Paul's and learning the book-business. He had precisely the same kind of dynastic idea, you know, that you fello

doing up the parcel, some fellow walked off with a book worth eighteen-pence. It was too slow for me. I didn't hit it off with the old man, either. We didn't precisely quarrel, but I went off on my own hook. I hung about London for some years, trying this thing and that. Once I started a book-shop of my own-but I did no good here. Finally I turned it u

then lifted his head as if something had occurred to him. "You were speaking of the plan that y

owly shoo

hing under two miles. You'd better light another cigar." He added, as i