nd smile, and all
sorts of backslidings suggested themselves. He had been criminal enough
to fall in love, and now was added another crime--he could not fall out
again. Never had he dreamt of such depths of depravity in him, Frank
Walkingshaw.

Again a little star twinkled for an instant.

It was a full two hours later that he returned home, footsore (for he
had been walking in his pumps) and with a mind as far from calm as ever.
He assumed that everybody would be in bed, but no sooner had he shut the
door than Jean appeared, flying downstairs to meet him.

"Oh," she cried, with a note of disappointment, "I hoped it was the
doctor!"

"The doctor!" he exclaimed.

"Hush!" she whispered, and came close up to him. "Father has suddenly
been taken very ill."

At that moment Andrew also appeared, to see who had entered. He looked
portentously grave.

"Well," he said, "what have I been saying? It's happened just exactly as
anybody but a fool might have known it would--just precisely. He's no
one to blame but himself for it--and his precious Mrs. Dunbar."

He rubbed his hands almost pleasantly.

"That quack's done for him--and his wine to-night finished the job.
Well, I warned him against both. People that will not take advice must
bide the consequences. Are you going to stay up for Dr. Mackenzie,
Jean?"

"Of course," she said.

"Well then, I might as well get off to my bed. If there's any immediate
danger,"--his face grew very solemn,--"if the end's expected in the
night, or anything like that, just knock on my door."

The junior partner bade them a grave good-night and retired; and such
imaginative persons as are not satisfied with this bald record of facts,
may picture him either as offering up a brief prayer for his father's
happy recovery, or meditating upon the image of his betrothed--or both.

CHAPTER VI

Fortunately, it proved unnecessary to disturb the junior partner during
the night, but next morning, when he had heard the doctor's report and
personally visited the sick-bed, he took the most serious view of the
situation. He summoned his two married sisters, urging them to lose no
time; he spent only half an hour at the office; and then he sat down
with his _Scotsman_ in the library (his Bible accessible in case of
emergencies) to await the developments that he grieved to think were now
practically inevitable. The doctor had paid a second visit and given the
gloomiest report. Put in a nutshel