"You'll take care of that watch," he said, suddenly. "It was my father's,
you see."
The girl smiled, reassuringly, and pointed to a heavily-built safe in the
rear.
"We've all sorts of family heirlooms in there," she observed. "Make
yourself easy."
Lauriston thanked her, raised his hat, and turned away--unwillingly. He
would have liked an excuse to stop longer--and he did not quite know why.
But he could think of none, so he went--with a backward look when he got
to the door. The pretty pawnbroker smiled and nodded. And the next moment
he was out in the street, with money in his pocket, and a strange sense of
relief, which was mingled with one of surprise. For he had lived for the
previous four days on a two-shilling piece--and there, all the time, close
by him, had been a place where you could borrow money, easily and very
pleasantly.
His first thought was to hurry to his lodgings and pay his landlady. He
owed her six weeks' rent, at ten shillings a week--that would take three
pounds out of the money he had just received. But he would still have over
fourteen shillings to be going on with--and surely those expected letters
would come within the next few postal deliveries.
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