part I was playing.

"I mean what I am about to show you, Mr Rowle," said Hallett, smiling.

"Trust me? Oh yes, of course, yes--of course," said the old man warmly; "here is my hand."

"Thank you," said Hallett, taking it. "Linny, my dear, you will not mind being left alone?"

"Oh no," she said, smiling; and lighting another lamp, Hallett led the way up to the attic, Mr Jabez finding an opportunity to give me a solemn wink before we stood by Hallett's bench.

"I have spent so much thought and labour over this model," said Hallett, "that, you must not be surprised at the jealousy with which I watch it."

"Oh no," said Mr Jabez, who proceeded, snuff-box in hand, to examine carefully every point in the invention.

"Well," said Hallett, at last, "do you think it will answer?"

In place of replying, Mr Jabez went all over it again, his interest growing fast, and being, I was glad to see, evidently sincere.

"I tell you what," he exclaimed at last, taking a tremendous pinch of snuff, "that thing would be splendid if you got it right."

"You like it, then?" said Hallett.

"Like it? I think it's grand. Why, man, it would make quite a revolution in the news business. You must get on--get it perfect."

Mr Hallett shook his head.

"It takes time and money," he said sadly. "It is slow work."

"Yes, but--hang it all, sir! you should get help. With such an important thing in hand you should work on."

"I do not know yet that it would answer," said Hallett sadly.

"But it must answer, sir," said the old man sharply. "If that machine did not answer, it would not be the fault or the principle, but of some blunder in the mechanism."

"Do you think so?" cried Hallett, whose eyes lighted up with pleasure.

"No, sir: I am sure so," said the old man. "The principle is as grand as it is simple; and what I like in the invention is this--you have taken up a part of the trade where it is all hand-labour--all mechanical. You are not trying to do away with brainpower."

"I am very glad you like my idea, Mr Rowle," said Hallett, proceeding to cover his model, which, when set in motion, ran easily and well.

"I am delighted with it," said Mr Jabez, poking him in the chest with his snuff-box. "Now, then, go ahead, and have the thing made on a workable scale."

"But I have not perfected it yet," replied Hallett.

"Never mind; perfect it as you go on. You are sure to find some weak spots. If I were you, sir, I should set a good firm of engineers to work on that at once."

Hallett smiled sadly.

"You are proposing impossibilities, Mr Rowle. This has been one of my great troubles, sir: how I was to carry on my project when I had completed my model. During the past few days I have been thinking of trying to sell the idea for what it is worth."

"What I and let some fellow without half an ounce of brains in his skull reap all the profit? Don't you do anything of the kind. There's a fortune in that contrivance, Mr Hallett. Sir, it is a great invention."

"What would you do, then?" said Hallett, smiling.

"Do, sir? I'd--I'd--"

Mr Jabez paused, and took a pinch of snuff.

"Do, sir, I'd--I'd--I'll tell you what I'd do. I'd take a partner who had money."

Hallett shook his head sadly.

"Who would advance money to such a dreamer as I am?" he said sadly.

"Lots of people, as soon as they saw money in it."

Hallett shook his head.

"You take a very sanguine view of the matter, Mr Rowle."

"Not half so sanguine as you, sir. Why, you must have spent years of labour, and a great deal of money, over that model."

"I have," said Hallett sadly.

"Then don't call me sanguine," cried Mr Jabez, flying to his snuff-box again. "I ask, here, Hallett, how much would it take to produce that thing, patent it, and the rest of it?"

"I cannot say," replied Hallett quietly, and with the same sad smile upon his face. "It is one of those things which keen on crying, `More! more!' I dare say it would require 300 pounds or 400 pounds to produce the first machine, and then I have no doubt more would have to be spent in perfecting it."

"Yes, I dare say," said Mr Jabez coolly, as he uncovered and once more began to examine the model; "I tell you what, Hallett, I think I know your man."

"What, a capitalist?"

"No, sir; a man with a selfish desire to share in the child of your brains."

"Indeed!"

"Yes; he hasn't much money, but I'll be bound to say that he would find enough to carry out your plans for, say, one-third of the profits."

"Mr Rowle, are you serious?" said Hallett earnestly.

"I never joke about business matters, Mr Hallett. As I said before, sir, that's a great invention; and if you'll let me, I'll find the money for carrying it on, conditionally that I take one-third of the profits the invention makes."

"You will! Mr Rowle!" cried Hallett incredulously.

"I will, sir; and there's my hand upon it."

"But do you understand the magnitude of the affair, sir?" cried Hallett, whose face flushed and eyes glittered with excitement.

"Quite so," replied the old gentleman, diving again into his snuff-box. "The first thing is, sir, to draw out a proper document between us--we can do that without the lawyers. Then proper drawings must be made, with description, and the thing must be patented."

"But that will take nearly a hundred pounds!" cried Hallett, panting; while I sat there hugging myself with delight.

"You can have my cheque for a hundred pounds, Mr Hallett, as soon as we have settled the preliminaries; and I bind myself to go on finding the necessary cash for construction as you go on. And now, sir, it's pretty well my bed-time, and I want to be off. Do nothing rashly. This day week I'll come here again for your answer, which I hope will be _yes_; for I think it will be a good stroke of business for both of us. Now good-night. Antony Grace, will you show me the way down to the door?"

They shook hands, and I saw the old gentleman to the street.

"There, my boy, wasn't that done well?" he chuckled. "But look here, Antony Grace," he added seriously; "I'd have done it without Miss Carr, that I would, for I believe in that machine. Good-night, boy, I'll come on next week and--hang it, look at that fellow who just passed. He's as like John Lister as two peas."

The old man went off, and I returned to my room, where I found Hallett waiting for me in a state of intense excitement.

"Antony," he exclaimed, "it is too good to be true. It is fortune at last--success. Good heavens! it makes me turn giddy. Mother--Linny," he cried, in a low passionate wail, "at last there is sunshine breaking through the clouds."

"I pray Heaven there may be, Hallett," I exclaimed; "but I have something to say to you."

"What is it?" he cried. "Has the old man repented?"

"Oh, no; you may be sure of him, Hallett. He is delighted at the opportunity, and thinks it will lead to fortune."

"What do you mean, then?"

"John Lister is hanging about this street."

"Why? How? what makes you say that?"

"I saw him pass the door, just now."

His brow darkened, and involuntarily he uttered his sister's name.

"No," I said; "I don't believe it of her. He is only trying to meet with her once more. I am sure Linny does not know it."

"You are right, Antony; she cannot know it. We can trust her now. Let us go and sit upstairs."

As we entered the room, Linny raised her eyes from the book which she was reading, and her calm ingenuous look was sufficient to disarm suspicion; but, all the same, Hallett and I both felt that the wolf was prowling about the fold, and that it behoved us to see that he had no further chance of carrying off our lamb.