[ "Are There Any Other of My Patients You Are Anxious To Hear About?" ] [ "He Wondered, Gloomily, What She Would Think when She Heard of It." ] [ "'Some People 'ave All the Luck,' he Muttered." ] [ "If You've Got Anything to Say, Why Don't You Say It Like A Man?" ] [ "Mrs. Kybird Suddenly Seized Him by the Coat." ] [ "Mr. Kybird and his Old Friend Parted." ] [ "He Took up his Candle and Went off Whistling." ] [ "He Could Just Make out a Dim Figure Behind the Counter." ] [ "'But Suppose She Asks Me To?' Said the Delighted Mr. Nugent, With Much Gravity." ] [ "'You're a Deceiver,' She Gasped." ] [ "'It Was Teddy Done It,' Said Mr. Kybird, Humbly." ] [ "Pausing Occasionally to Answer Anxious Inquiries." ] [ "She Placed Her Other Arm in That of Hardy." ]

[!-- H2 anchor --]

CHAPTER XXI

Gossip from one or two quarters, which reached Captain Nugent's ears through the medium of his sister, concerning the preparations for his son's marriage, prevented him from altering his mind with regard to the visits of Jem Hardy and showing that painstaking young man the door. Indeed, the nearness of the approaching nuptials bade fair to eclipse, for the time being, all other grievances, and when Hardy paid his third visit he made a determined but ineffectual attempt to obtain from him some information as to the methods by which he hoped to attain his ends. His failure made him suspicious, and he hinted pretty plainly that he had no guarantee that his visitor was not obtaining admittance under false pretences.

"Well, I'm not getting much out of it," returned Hardy, frankly.

"I wonder you come," said his hospitable host.

"I want you to get used to me," said the other.

The captain started and eyed him uneasily; the remark seemed fraught with hidden meaning. "And then?" he inquired, raising his bushy eyebrows.

"Then perhaps I can come oftener."