fix the dates for his
meetings at Glasgow and Leeds. What do you think his answer was?"

"Don't tell me that he wants to back out!" Berenice exclaimed. "Don't
tell me that!"

"Almost as bad! He told me quite coolly that he was not prepared finally
to set out his views upon the question until he had completed a course of
personal investigation in some of the Northern centres of trade, to which
he had committed himself."

Berenice looked bewildered.

"But what on earth does he mean?" she exclaimed. "Surely he knows all
that there is to be known. His mastery of statistics is something
wonderful."

"What he means no man save himself can even surmise," Borrowdean
answered. "He told me that he had had information of a state of distress
in some of our Northern towns--Newcastle and Hull he mentioned, and some
of the Lancashire places--which had simply appalled him. He was
determined to verify it personally, and to commit himself to nothing
further until he had done so. And he even asked me if I could not find
him a pair until the end of the session, so that he could get away at
once. I was simply dumbfounded. A pair for Mannering!"

Berenice rose to her feet. She walked up and down the little room
restlessly.

"Sir Leslie," she said at last, "I am not sure whether I have what you
would call any influence over Mr. Mannering now or not. I might have had
but for you!"

"For me?" Borrowdean exclaimed.

"Yes. It was you who told me of--of--that woman," she said, haughtily,
but with the colour rising almost to her temples. "After that, of course
things were different between us. We are scarcely upon such terms at
present as would justify my interference."

Borrowdean dropped his eyeglass, and swung it deliberately by its black
ribbon. He looked steadily at Berenice, but his eyes seemed to travel
past her.

"My dear Duchess," he said, quietly, "the game of life is a great one to
play, and we who would keep our hands upon the board must of necessity
make sacrifices. It is your duty to disregard in this instance your
feelings towards Mannering. You must consider only his feelings towards
you. They are such, I believe, as to give you a hold over him. You must
make use of that hold for the sake of a great cause."

Berenice raised her eyebrows.

"Indeed! You seem to forget, Sir Leslie, that my share in this game, as
you call it, must always be a passive one. I have no office to gain, no
rewards to reap. Why should I comm