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"There's something you could do for me, Jane," said her father at breakfast one morning. "You know Adams."

Jane Gresham had often heard of Mr. Adams, founder and proprietor of the big rolling mills and engineering shops at Hogglestock. Her father took a great interest in his work on the board and usually told her what he was doing, for she liked to hear about what she called "real things" and had even made one or two very intelligent suggestions, but she had never met the director.

"It seems he wants a house outside Barchester for the summer holidays," said the Admiral, "not for himself, but his girl is going up to Cambridge in the autumn, and he wants a place where she can get some extra coaching. Apparently he has found a woman coach for her, but he says if she stays in Barchester she will be in and out of the works all day. He asked my advice so I said I would speak to you. He is a good enough fellow," said the Admiral, by which his daughter perfectly understood that Mr. Adams was, not to put too fine a point upon it, by no means a gentleman, "and I've a great respect for his business methods. What do you think?"