ert said, passing the
perturbed clerk before that functionary could make up his mind whether he
ought to intercept him.

He opened the office-door and went in. Mr. Medler was sitting at his
desk, bending over some formidable document, with the air of a man who is
profoundly absorbed by his occupation; with the air also, Gilbert
thought, of a man who has been what is vernacularly called "on the
listen."

"Good-morning, Mr. Medler," Gilbert said politely; "your clerk had such a
conviction of your being out, that I had some difficulty in convincing
him you were at home."

"I've only just come in; I suppose Lucas didn't hear me."

"I suppose not; I've been here twice before in search of you, as I
conclude you have been told. I have expected to hear from you daily."

"Well, yes--yes," replied the lawyer in a meditative way; "I am aware
that I promised to write--under certain circumstances."

"Am I to conclude, then, that you were silent because you had nothing to
communicate? that you have obtained no tidings of any kind respecting
Mrs. Holbrook?"

Mr. Medler coughed; a cough no less expressive of embarrassment than that
of his clerk.

"Why, you see, Mr. Fenton," he began, crossing his legs, and rubbing his
hands in a very deliberate manner, "when I made that promise with
reference to Mrs. Holbrook, I made it of course without prejudice to the
interests or inclinations of my client. I might be free to communicate to
you any information I received upon this subject--or I might find myself
pledged to withhold it."

Gilbert's face flushed with sudden excitement.

"What!" he cried, "do you mean to say that you have solved the mystery of
Marian Holbrook's fate? that you know her to be alive--safe--well, and
have kept back the knowledge from me?"

"I have been compelled to submit to the wishes of my client. I will not
say that I have not offered considerable opposition to her desire upon
this point, but finding her resolution fixed, I was bound to respect it."

"She is safe--then all this alarm has been needless? You have seen her?"

"Yes, Mr. Fenton, I have seen her."

"And she--she forbade you to let me know of her safety? She was willing
that I should suffer all the anguish of uncertainty as to her fate? I
could not have believed her so unkind."

"Mrs. Holbrook had especial reasons for wishing to avoid all
communication with former acquaintances. She explained those reasons to
me, and I fully concurred in the