just as much at home with her now as he would have been with his mother.

"Did Capper see you as you came by, sir? Wouldn't she be struck!"

"Nearly into stone," he laughed.

Mirrable disappeared for a minute or two, and came back with a silver
coffee-pot in her hand. The name of the lodge-keeper had brought to his
remembrance the unpleasant hint she mentioned, and he spoke of it
impulsively--as he did most things.

"Mirrable, what man is it they call Pike, who has taken possession of
that old shed?"

"I'm sure I don't know, sir," answered Mirrable, after a pause, which Mr.
Elster thought was involuntary; for she was busy at the moment rubbing
the coffee-pot with some wash-leather, her head and face bent over it, as
she stood with her back to him. He slipped off the table, and went up to
her.

"I saw smoke rising from the shed, and asked Capper what it meant, and
she told me about this man Pike. Pike! It's a curious name."

Mirrable rubbed away, never answering.

"Capper said he had been suspected of firing the shot that killed my
brother," he continued, in low tones. "Did _you_ ever hear of such a
hint, Mirrable?"

Mirrable darted off to the fireplace, and began stirring the milk lest it