k and Major Perigal, the former of whom
dropped his eyes when he saw that Mavis perceived the direction of his
glance. As the evening wore on, Mavis was faintly bored and not a
little troubled. She reflected that it was in these very rooms that
Charlie Perigal had read her piteous little letters from London, and
from where he probably penned his lying replies. Mavis would have liked
to have been alone so that she could try to appreciate the whys and
wherefores of the most significant events in her life. The conditions
of her last stay in London and those of her present life were as the
poles apart so far as material well-being was concerned; her mind ached
to fasten upon some explanation that would reconcile the tragic events
in her life with her one-time implicit faith in the certain protection
extended by a Heavenly Father to His trusting children. Perhaps it was
as well that Mavis was again asked to sing; the effort of remembering
her words put all such thoughts from her mind.

Whatever clouds may have gathered about Mavis's appreciation of the
evening, there was no doubt of the enjoyment of those Devitts who were
present. The dinner was, to them, an event of social moment in their
lives. Although they looked as if they had got into the dignified
atmosphere of Major Perigal's drawing-room by mistake, they were
greatly delighted with their evening; afterwards, they did not fail to
make copious references to those they had met at dinner to their
Melkbridge friends.

A month after the dinner, Major Perigal died suddenly in his chair. Two
days after he was buried, Mavis received an intimation from his
solicitors, which requested her presence at the reading of his will.
Wondering what was toward, Mavis made an appointment. To her boundless
astonishment, she learned that Major Perigal, "on account of the esteem
in which he held the daughter of his old friend, Colonel Keeves," had
left Mavis all his worldly goods, with the exception of bequests to
servants and five hundred pounds to his son Charles.

CHAPTER FORTY

A MIDNIGHT WALK

Thus it would seem as if fate wished to make amends for the sorry
tricks it had played Mavis. Her first impressions after hearing the
news were of such a contradictory nature that she was quite bewildered.
Those present at the reading of the will, together with Montague
Devitt, who had accompanied her, hastened to offer their
congratulations (those of Devitt being chastened by the r