supine degree of resignation. He was a sensible youth, however, and
gave no trouble. Even Joseph Hutchinson, who of course resented
furiously any "nonsense" of which his daughter and possession was the
object, became sufficiently mollified by his good spirits and ready
good nature to refrain from open conversational assault.

"I don't mind that chap as much as I did at first," he admitted
reluctantly to Little Ann one evening after a good dinner and a
comfortable pipe. "He's not such a fool as he looks."

Tembarom was given, as Little Ann was, to seeing what people wanted.
He knew when to pass the mustard and other straying condiments. He
picked up things which. dropped inconveniently, he did not interrupt
the remarks of his elders and betters, and several times when he
chanced to be in the hall, and saw Mr. Hutchinson, in irritable,
stout Englishman fashion, struggling into his overcoat, he sprang
forward with a light, friendly air and helped him. 'He did not do it
with ostentatious politeness or with the manner of active youth
giving generous aid to elderly avoirdupois. He did it as though it
occurred to him as a natural result of being on the spot.

It took Mrs. Bowse and her boarding-house less than a week definitely
to like him. Every night when he sat down to dinner he brought news
with him- news and jokes and new slang. Newspaper-office anecdote and
talk gave a journalistic air to the gathering when he was present,
and there was novelty in it. Soon every one was intimate with him,
and interested in what he was doing. Galton's good-natured patronage
of him was a thing to which no one was indifferent. It was felt to be
the right thing in the right place. When he came home at night it
became the custom to ask him questions as to the bits of luck which