lmost with passion--"to
deceive her as he does--to do wrong, and that sort of wrong. Oh, I think
my heart will break!"

Tears choked her voice, she had the greatest possible difficulty in
keeping them back. Lawson took out his watch.

"You are not late," he said. "Let us take a turn round this square."

They had entered an old-fashioned square where there were very few
people. They walked round and round the dismal central garden for some
time. Lawson talked, and Effie listened. After a time they decided that
George's perilous downward career must be stopped at any cost. Lawson
said he would make it his business to see George the following evening,
to tell him quite frankly what he knew, and, in short, to compel him, if
necessary, to do what was right.

"He'll be obstinate," said Effie--"I know he'll be hard to deal with.
Oh, what shall we do?--what shall we do? I am quite certain that already
my mother has gone far beyond our means. She hasn't been half careful
enough since I left her. If George stops getting money in this way
she'll wonder and question. I doubt very much whether you can have the
least influence over him. What is to be done?"

"Don't be so down-hearted," said Lawson. "He requires a man to tackle
him--a man who really knows the temptations young fellows meet. If
you'll allow me to say so, Miss Staunton, I don't think the case quite
hopeless; anyhow, you may be quite sure I'll do my best for him."

"Thank you," said poor Effie; "you are more than good, and I do trust
you." She hurried back to the hospital; but, to her dismay, when she got
there, found that she was a quarter of an hour late.

Absolute punctuality in returning from any outdoor pleasure is expected
from all nurses. She hurried upstairs, hoping that she might gain her
room, put on her cap and apron, and return to the ward before Sister
Kate had time to miss her. This might have been the case--for Sister
Kate had been very much occupied with some anxious cases during the
afternoon--had not one of the nurses, who had a spite against Effie for
being prettier and cleverer than herself, drawn Sister Kate's attention,
to the fact that the young probationer was behind her time. This nurse
had seen Effie walking with Lawson. Immediately her spirit of jealousy
and envy was up in arms; she did not for a moment consider what injury
she might do the poor girl by her false and unkind words.

"Nurse Staunton is late," she said. "I don't know how I