know.'

'But it seems to me that you have a right to question her.'

'I can't do that, Alfred.'

'Unfortunately, there are a good many things you can't do.' With that
remark, familiar to his wife in substance, though the tone of it was
less caustic than usual, he rose and sauntered from the room. He spent
a gloomy hour in the study, then went off to join the literary circle at
Mr Quarmby's.

CHAPTER XXIV. JASPER'S MAGNANIMITY

Occasionally Milvain met his sisters as they came out of church on
Sunday morning, and walked home to have dinner with them. He did so
to-day, though the sky was cheerless and a strong north-west wind made
it anything but agreeable to wait about in open spaces.

'Are you going to Mrs Wright's this afternoon?' he asked, as they went
on together.

'I thought of going,' replied Maud. 'Marian will be with Dora.'

'You ought both to go. You mustn't neglect that woman.'

He said nothing more just then, but when presently he was alone with
Dora in the sitting-room for a few minutes, he turned with a peculiar
smile and remarked quietly:

'I think you had better go with Maud this afternoon.'

'But I can't. I expect Marian at three.'

'That's just why I want you to go.'

She looked her surprise.

'I want to have a talk with Marian. We'll manage it in this way. At a
quarter to three you two shall start, and as you go out you can tell the
landlady that if Miss Yule comes she is to wait for you, as you won't be
long. She'll come upstairs, and I shall be there. You see?'

Dora turned half away, disturbed a little, but not displeased.

'And what about Miss Rupert?' she asked.

'Oh, Miss Rupert may go to Jericho for all I care. I'm in a magnanimous
mood.'

'Very, I've no doubt.'

'Well, you'll do this? One of the results of poverty, you see; one can't
even have a private conversation with a friend without plotting to get
the use of a room. But there shall be an end of this state of things.'

He nodded significantly. Thereupon Dora left the room to speak with her
sister.

The device was put into execution, and Jasper saw his sisters depart
knowing that they were not likely to return for some three hours. He
seated himself comfortably by the fire and mused. Five minutes had
hardly gone by when he looked at his watch, thinking Marian must be
unpunctual. He was nervous, though he had believed himself secure
against such weakness. His presence here with the purpose he had in his
mind se