wouldn’t stump up after his refusing her. What would his father say if he came to hear of it? And he must speak to him soon, for these chaps were threatening to County Court him if he didn’t pay. Those harpies in Vere Street were quite nasty � ‘ He wondered if he could work Stephen for a loan.

He walked on through the woodland path, his pace slower than before. ‘How pretty she had looked!’ Here he touched his little moustache. ‘Gad! Stephen was a fine girl anyhow! If it wasn’t for all that red hair � I like ‘em dark better! � And her being such an infernal boss!’� Then he said unconsciously aloud:

‘If I was her husband I’d keep her to rights!’

Poor Stephen!