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private affairs. Besides, Archie would naturally talk, and wonder, and—things were better left alone. Pamela had probably disbelieved him, and no one else knew. She had disbelieved him—she had looked absolutely incredulous.

“I’m going away to-morrow,” he said. “Make my apologies, will you? And thanks for the best time I’ve ever had.”

“Away? Where? You’re a sudden sort of beggar, Tony. Why?”

“Just—away. Because I have no more money. I’m going to sell———”

“Steady. I can lend———”

“No, you can’t, old man. You see the trouble is not only that I’ve spent it all, but that there’s no more to come. I’m going away to make some. It’s all right—I meant to do this. I’ve been looking forward to it, you needn’t worry about me. It’s no punishment. The clothes I’ve got will be enough to give me a good start, though I shall have to sell them at a sacrifice. Oh, don’t look like that! Is it because I’m talking like a Jew pedlar?”

“But—I say, I don’t like to think of you going away like this.”

“I’m all right. I’m looking forward to it, in a way. You see, I don’t really belong here, and I hope we shall meet again some day. I suppose this address will find you as soon as any other? Meanwhile we’d better go to sleep; to-morrow I’m going to get up earlier than I have for some weeks past. . . .”

He slept soundly. Lister’s story had already begun to take a back place in his mind as the fact of his return to work grew more real.