"Very well, Sir."

Elizabeth went, but shortly reappeared with the information that Mrs.
Jones had gone to bed: in the kitchen, she supposed, as she could not
get in. But she laid on the table the large street door key.

"Perhaps that's what you wanted, Mr. Leaf. Though I think you needn't
be the least afraid of robbers, for there's three bolts, and a chain
besides."

"All right!" cried Ascott, smothering down a laugh. "Thank you!
That's for you," throwing a half-crown across the table.

Elizabeth took it up demurely, and put it down again. Perhaps she did
not like him enough to receive presents from him; perhaps she
thought, being an honest minded girl, that a young man who could not
pay his rent had no business to be giving away half-crowns; or else
she herself had not been so much as many servants are, in the habit
of taking them. For Miss Hilary had put into Elizabeth some of her
own feeling as to this habit of paying an inferior with money for any
little civility or kindness which, from an equal, would be accepted
simply as kindness, and only requited with thanks. Any how, the coin
remained on the table, and the door was just shutting upon Elizabeth,
when the young gentleman turned round again.

"I say, since my aunts are so horridly timid of robbers and such
like, you'd better not tell them any thing about the latch-key."

Elizabeth stood a minute perplexed, and then replied briefly: "Miss