imself
that Reggie had an unbounded cheek, but there was really nothing to
wait for any longer, now that the bride had gone.

But there's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip. The bride's mother,
shaking hands and saying pleasant nothings to the first of her
departing guests, looked at Mr. Gray reproachfully.

"Mr. Gray! you are never going to desert us already! We want our
brightest stars to help illumine our darkness. Mrs. Gray feeling ill?
Surely, my dear Elaine, you do not need _three_ gentlemen to take you
home!"

The colour flamed into Mrs. Gray's cheeks.

"My husband is taking me home," she said proudly, "Mr. Alston and Mr.
Bushman happen to be leaving at the same time."

"It _is_ rather early," admitted Mr. Gray. He had caught sight of
a fresh tray of glasses going the round of a circle of his
acquaintances, and he decided not to be managed any longer, but to do
as he chose.

"Look here, Elaine!" he said in a low tone, "you let Reggie take you
home. I won't be a few minutes, but I must speak to Thornton. I've
been looking for him all the afternoon, and it's really important."

"I'm sure _you_ are not in a hurry, Howard," said the hostess.

So Reggie and Mrs. Gray found themselves outside the gate alone.

"I'll never go inside that gate again," cried Mrs. Gray, angrily. Then
she added piteously, "Oh, Reggie, I thought we had got him safe."

"So did I," said Reggie, ruefully.

"What _can_ I do?" she moaned, "I've seen it coming on little by
little, and now he's beginning not to care so much if--if people
guess. I'm glad you know, Reggie; it's a comfort to have somebody to
speak to. I used to think I should be perfectly happy if I had plenty
of money--we girls at home used to be poor till Aunt died and left
us her property, just before I was engaged, and now, often, I think
I would so willingly have just John's income--and it's only a small
income for so responsible a position--or work hard myself, if I could
be sure of--of him. But there it is," she added sadly. "Tell me what I
can do, Reggie."

"You can pray for him," said Reggie, earnestly, "God _does_ hear and
answer prayer and He can save to the uttermost." He hesitated and then
added in a lower tone,

"Mrs. Gray, are you an abstainer yourself?"

"Well, not quite," said she, "but I hardly take anything."

Reggie nodded.

"Yes, but you take as much as you care to, and he takes as much as
_he_ cares to. That is how Mr. Gray would look at it, and t