she could not but have thanked him with
real feeling.

At luncheon, Miss Bride was obviously unrepentant. One would have said
that it amused her to notice the slight coldness 'which Lashmar put
into his manner towards her. She had never seemed in better spirits.

In the afternoon Dyce was summoned to a private interview with Lady
Ogram. It took place in an upstairs room he had not yet entered. His
hostess sat before a wood-fire (though the day was warm) and her face
now and then had a look of suffering, but she spoke cheerfully, and in
a tone of much kindness.

"Well, have you enjoyed your stay with me?--You must come down again
presently; but, in the meantime, you'll be busy. Go and see Mrs.
Toplady, and get to know all the useful people you can. We shall be
working here for you, of course. Miss Bride will keep you posted about
everything."

The dark eyes, at this moment pain-troubled, were reading his
countenance.

"I needn't tell you," Lady Ogram continued, "that Miss Bride has my
entire and perfect confidence. I don't think I'm easily deceived in
people, and--even before she spoke to me of you--I had made up my mind
that' in some way or other, she must be given a chance of doing
something in life. You know all about her ways of thinking--perhaps
better than I do."

In the pause which followed, Dyce was on the point of disclaiming this
intimacy; but the drift of Lady Ogram's talk, exciting his curiosity,
prevailed to keep him silent. He bent his look and smiled modestly.

"She's one of the few women," went on his friend, "who do more than
they promise. She'll never be what is called brilliant. She won't make
much of a figure in the drawing-room. But, give her a chance, and
she'll do things that people will talk about. She has powers of
organising; I don't know whether you understand how well she is getting
to be known by serious workers in the social reform way. There's not
one of them can write such good letters--tell so much in few words. But
we must give her a chance--you and I together."

Dyce was startled. His smile died away, and, involuntarily, he turned a
look of surprise on the speaker.

"You mean," said Lady Ogram, as though answering a remonstrance, "that
you know all about that without my telling you. Don't be touchy; you
and I can understand each other well enough, if we like. What I want to
let yon know is, that I consider she has a claim upon me. Not in the
ordinary sense. Perhaps I'm not q