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 rich connections. But I don't see their coming forward to that extent."

"He'll have to exchange," suggested Anthony. "Get out to India."

"Or else they'll starve themselves to try and keep it up," answered Johnson. "Funny thing, you can never get any sense into these old families. It's the inter-breeding, I suppose. Of course, there's the girl. She may perhaps put them on their legs again."

"By marrying some rich old bug?" said Anthony.

"Or rich young one," answered Johnson. "I don't think I've ever seen anything more lovely. I expect that's why they've come back, if the truth were told. If her aunt took her up and ran her for a season in London there oughtn't to be much difficulty."

"Except perhaps the girl," suggested Anthony.

"Oh! they look at things differently in that class," answered old Johnson. "They've got to."

The house and shop in Platts Lane where Anthony had been born had been taken over by the old jobbing tinker and his half-witted son. The old man had never been of much use, but the boy had developed into a clever mechanic. Bicycles were numerous now in Millsborough, and he had