"She spoke of you as being a very kind-hearted man."

Mr. Fentolin sighed.

"The poor creature! Well, well, let us revert to the object of
your coming here. Do you really wish to occupy this little shanty,
Mr. Hamel?"

"That was my idea," Hamel confessed. "I only came back from Mexico
last month, and I very soon got fed up with life in town. I am
going abroad again next year. Till then, I am rather at a loose
end. My father was always very keen indeed about this place, and
very anxious that I should come and stay here for a little time, so
I made up my mind to run down. I've got some things waiting at
Norwich. I thought I might hire a woman to look after me and spend
a few weeks here. They tell me that the early spring is almost the
best time for this coast."

Mr. Fentolin nodded slowly. He moistened his lips for a moment.
One might have imagined that he was anxious.

"Mr. Hamel," he said softly, "you are quite right. It is the best
time to visit this coast. But why make a hermit of yourself? You
are a family friend. Come and stay with us at the Hall for as long
as you like. It will give me the utmost pleasure to welcome you
there," he went on earnestly, "and as for this little place, of what
use is it to you? Let me buy it from you. You are a man of the
world, I can see. You may be rich, yet money has a definite value.
To me it has none. That little place, as it stands, is probably
worth--say a hundred pounds. Your father gave, if I remember