moved heaven and earth to
prevent your accepting a fortune."

He swung round, dropping his feet to the floor, and eyed his brother
quizzically.

"Upon my word," he went on, "this thing annoys me. I've a mind to--"
Here he dived a hand into his breeches pocket and fished out a
shilling. "We'll settle it here and now, and you shall be witness.
Heads for Dangan Castle and Parliament House; tails for poverty!"

He spun the coin and slapped it down on his knee. His hand still
covered it.

--"Come Jack, stand up and be properly excited."

"Nay," said John; "would you jest with God's purpose for you?"

"I have seen you open the Bible at random and take your omen from the
first words your eyes light on. Yet I never accused you of jesting
with Holy Writ. Cannot God as easily determine the fall of a coin?"

He withdrew his hand, and drew a deep breath. "Tails!" he announced,
and faced his brother, smiling. "I am in earnest," he said.
"But if you prefer the other way--"

He stepped to the shelf, took down his Bible and opened it, not
looking himself, but holding the page under his brother's eyes.

"Well, what does it say?" he asked.

"It says," John answered, "'Let the high praises of God be in their
mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.'"

Charles closed the Bible and restored it to its shelf; then faced his
brother again, still with his inscrutable smile.

BOOK IV.

CHAPTER I.

"I never knew you were such a needlewoman, Hetty. It has been
nothing but stitch-stitch for these two hours--and the same
yesterday, and the day before. See, the kettle's boiling. Lay down
your sewing, that's a dear creature; make me a dish of tea; and while
you're doing it, let me see your eyes and hear your voice."

Hetty dropped her hands on her lap and let them rest there for a
moment, while she looked across at Charles with a smile.

"As for talking," she answered, "it seems to me you have been doing
pretty well without my help."

Charles laughed. "Now you speak of it, I _have_ been rattling on.
But there has been so much to say and so little time to say it in.
Has it occurred to you that we have seen more of each other in these
seven days than in all our lives before?"

Seven days ago, while staying with his brother Sam at Westminster, he
had heard of her arrival in London and had tramped through the slushy
streets at once to seek her out at her address in Crown Court, Dean
Street, Soho. She had w