ing, Mr. Lashmar?"

"Then Miss Tomalin has taken you entirely into her confidence?"

"Entirely, I am happy to say. I am sure you won't be displeased. It
goes without saying that she does not know I am having this
conversation with you."

"I think, Mrs. Toplady," said Dyce, with deliberation, "that you had
better tell me, if you will, exactly what you have heard from Miss
Tomalin. We shall be more sure of understanding each other."

"That's easily done. She told me of your railway journey together, of
your subsequent meetings, of what happened with Lord Dymchurch, and,
last of all, what happened with Lady Ogram."

"Probably," said Dyce, "not all that happened with Lady Ogram. Did she
mention that, instead of remaining loyal to me, as I was all through to
her, she did her best to injure me with Lady Ogram by betraying a
secret I had entrusted to her?"

"I know what you refer to. Yes, she told me, of that unfortunate
incident, and spoke of it with deep regret. The poor girl simply lost
her head; for a moment she could think of nothing but
self-preservation. Put yourself in her place. She saw utter ruin before
her, and was driven almost crazy. I can assure you that she was not
responsible for that piece of disloyalty. I am afraid not many girls
would have been more heroic in such a terrible situation. You, a
philosopher, must take account of human weakness."

"I hope I can do that," said Lashmar, with a liberal air. "Under other
circumstances, I should hardly have mentioned the thing. But it
convinced me at the time that Miss Tomalin had deceived herself as to
her feeling for me, and now that everything is necessarily at an end
between us, I prefer to see it still in the same light, for it assures
me that she has suffered no injury at _my_ hands."

"But, pray, why should everything be necessarily at an end?"

"For two or three reasons, Mrs. Toplady. One will suffice. After Miss
Tomalin had left the room, Lady Ogram insisted on my making offer of
immediate marriage to Miss Bride. Being plainly released from the other
obligation, I did so--and Miss Bride gave her consent."

Mrs. Toplady arched her eyebrows, and rippled a pleasant laugh.

"Ah! That, of course, May could not know. I may presume that, _this_
time, the engagement is serious?"

"Undoubtedly," Lashmar replied, grave yet bland.

"Then I can only ask you to pardon my interference."

"Not at all. You have shown great kindness, and, under other
circums