tion, John!"

"Oh, I say," gasped Brown, seizing Betty's hand and crushing it
ecstatically, "may I embrace you? It's either you or John there."

"Do be quiet. It seems to me we have had as much of that sort of thing
as I can stand. Wasn't it awful?"

"Awful? Awfully jolly!" gasped Brown, hugging himself. "Haven't had a
thrill approaching that since the McGill match, and even that was only
a pale adumbration of what I've just been through."

"I'm sure I don't know what to think. It's so dreadfully startling."

"Startling!" cried Brown. "Come now, Miss Betty, you don't mean to say
you haven't seen this growing for the past six months!"

"No, truly I haven't."

"Well, that's only because you have been so occupied with your own
affairs."

"Nonsense," cried Betty indignantly, with a sudden flame of colour in
her cheeks. "You're quite rude."

"I don't care for anything now," cried Brown recklessly. "My prayers,
tears, and alms-giving haven't been without avail. The terrors and
agonies I've endured this last few days lest that old blockhead should
take himself off without saying or doing anything, no man will ever
know. And he would have gone off, too, had it not been for that lucky
fluke of your mother's. Do you mind if I yell?"

"Hush! Here, let my hand go, it's quite useless," said Betty, looking
at that member which Brown had just relinquished.

"John," gravely enquired Brown, "are you using both your hands?"

"I beg pardon, sir," enquired the astonished coachman, half turning
round.

"Here, do stop your nonsense," cried Betty in a shocked voice.

"Oh, all right, John, this will do," said Brown, seizing Betty's hand
again, as John gave his attention to the horses.

"I say, pull up beside Mr. Macgregor there, will you? Here, Shock, get
in. You'll miss your train. Here, you old bloke, come along, don't gape
like a sick duck. Get in here. You have got to get that train now."

"Mr. Brown," said Betty in a severe whisper, "mind, don't say a word to
him about this business. I can't stand it."

"Certainly not," said Brown, in a matter of fact tone. "There's nothing
to be said."

But there was one last word to be said, and that was Betty's.

"Good-bye, Shock," she whispered to him, as he stepped upon his train.
"I think--I know--I'm very glad."

Poor Shock could only grasp her hand in mute farewell. It was just
dawning upon him that he had some further offering to bring to make his
sacrifice complete.