n him. "I'll be
home to-morrow."

Then with a most coquettish glance, she purred coyly:

"You'll be glad to see me, dear, _won't_ you?"

Mr. Batholommey beamed in his turn, and patted her on the cheek.

"Yes, my church mouse!" he said as he kissed her good-bye and went out
into the night.

Mrs. Batholommey closed the doors after him, but immediately opened them
a trifle and peered through the crack.

"Look out, Henry, for the trolley cars," she cried. "It's dark out
there--And be careful you don't step into a mud puddle! They must be as
deep as mill ponds after this rain, and there aren't half enough street
lamps in this neighbourhood--you'll be in over your ankles before you
know it!"

"All right!" came in a diminuendo from the clergyman's receding form.
"I'll be careful. Don't stand there taking cold. Good-night!"

"Woman," thundered Dr. McPherson in a terrible voice, "_close that
door_! Do you want my lamp to blow clean out? How can a body write with
such goings-on in his ears? St. Paul was a wise man. 'Let the woman
learn in silence,' he said, 'with all subjection.' Will you be good
enough to heed that, and let me write in peace?"

Mrs. Batholommey fastened the door with elaborate and most deliberate
care; then, as she passed the doctor's table on her way to the front
parlour, she fired a parting shot.

"Write as much as you like, Doctor," she said loftily. "Words are but
air. _You_ know and _I_ know and _everybody_ knows that seeing is
believing."

"Damn everybody!" growled the doctor, frowning at the lady's retreating
figure. "It's 'everybody's' ignorance that's set the world back five
hundred years. Where was I, before?" he said to himself. "Oh! Yes."

And he went back to his Statement.

CHAPTER XX

THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

Frederik came impatiently up the home walk. The old house was bathed in
moonlight; the walk itself leading up to it was sweet with the scent of
wet flowers. The whole place carried a peaceful air, as if a blessing
rested upon it. But Frederik heeded nothing--saw none of the beauty and
mystery. His mind was filled with quite different things.

He had waited for hours at the hotel, expecting Hicks or his lawyer.
When no one arrived at the hour agreed upon, Frederik felt a bit uneasy,
but he tried to persuade himself that Hicks had merely missed the train
and would come on the next one. With growing apprehension he waited,
smoking innumerable cigarettes while the eve