As soon as everything had been settled, and when Mr.and Mrs.Eagles had already housed themselves in the one room which was all they needed for their private accommodation, Hewett and the children began to pack together their miserable sticks and rags for removal.

Just then Sidney Kirkwood looked in.
'Eagles wants to see you for a minute about something,' he said.

'Just walk round with me, will you ?' John obeyed, in the silent, spiritless way now usual with him.

It was but a short distance to the buildings: they went up the winding stone staircase, and Sidney gave a hollow-sounding knock at one of the two doors that faced each other on the fifth storey.

Mrs.Eagles opened, a decent, motherly woman, with a pleasant and rather curious smile on her face.