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--Yours very truly,

'SIMPKINS JENKINS

'Dear me--very aard!' said Stephen, rather en l'air, and confused with the kind of confusion that assails an understrapper when he has been enlarged by accident to the dimensions of a superior, and is soinal size

'What is aard?' said Miss Swancourt

Smith by this tinity of an experienced architect

'Important business deret to say,' he replied

'What! Must you go at once?' said Mr Swancourt, looking over the edge of his letter 'I fellow like you to have i, and rather ashahtly to a consequence which did not belong to him,--'the truth is, Mr Hewby has sent to say I am to come home; and I must obey him'

'I see; I see It is politic to do so, you mean Now I can see more than you think You are to be his partner I booked you for that directly I read his letter to reat deal of you, Mr Smith, or he wouldn't be so anxious for your return'

Unpleasant to Stephen such remarks as these could not sound; to have the expectancy of partnership with one of the largest-practising architects in London thrust upon hi, however untenable he felt the idea to be He saw that, whatever Mr Hewby ht round as to be absolutely no ground at all And then, unaccountably, his speaking face exhibited a cloud of sadness, which a reflection on the reency could hardly have sufficed to cause

Elfride was struck with that look of his; even Mr Swancourt noticed it

'Well,' he said cheerfully, 'never ain on your own account; not on business Come to see me as a visitor, you know--say, in your holidays--all you town ust, I believe'

'Very well; colad to get somebody decent to talk to, or at, in this outlandish ulti to say--you won't go to-day?'

'No; I need not,' said Stephen hesitatingly 'I a'