\"so leonards has been drinking again!\" said one, seemingly in authority.

\"he\"ll need all his boasted influence to keep his place this time.\"

\"where is he?\" asked another, while margaret, her back towards them,was counting her change with trembling fingers, not daring to turnround until she heard the answer to this question.

\"i don\"t know. he came in not five minutes ago, with some long story or

other about a fall he\"d had, swearing awfully; and wanted to borrowsome money from me to go to london by the next up-train. he made allsorts of tipsy promises, but i\"d something else to do than listen to him; itold him to go about his business; and he went off at the front door.\"

\"he\"s at the nearest vaults, i\"ll be bound,\" said the first speaker. \"yourmoney would hāve gone there too, if you\"d been such a fool as to lendit.\"

\"catch me! i knew better what his london meant. why, he has neverpaid me off that five shillings\"--and so they went on.

and now all margaret\"s anxiety was for the train to e. she hidherself once more in the ladies\" waiting-room, and fancied every noisewas leonards\" step--every loud and boisterous voice was his. but noone came near her until the train drew up; when she was civilly helpedinto a carriage by a porter, into whose face she durst not look till theywere in motion, and then she saw that it was not leonards\".

..**t**

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