l
affection in his voice which struck Seward at once. "If I can be of
the slightest service or comfort to you, I will of course."

Grey again sat silent for a little while. "I wish you would; I do,
indeed."

"Then I will." And again there was a pause.

"I have got a letter here from--Miss Vavasor," said Grey.

"May I hope that--"

"No;--it does not bring good news to me. I do not know that I can
tell it you all. I would if I could, but the whole story is one not
to be told in a hurry. I should leave false impressions. There are
things which a man cannot tell."

"Indeed there are," said Seward.

"I wish with all my heart that you knew it all as I know it; but that
is impossible. There are things which happen in a day which it would
take a lifetime to explain." Then there was another pause. "I have
heard bad news this morning, and I must go up to London at once. I
shall go into Ely so as to be there by twelve; and if you will, you
shall drive me over. I may be back in a day; certainly in less than
a week; but it will be a comfort to me to know that I shall find you
here."

The matter was so arranged, and at eleven they started. During
the first two miles not a word was spoken between them. "Seward,"
Grey said at last, "if I fail in what I am going to attempt, it is
probable that you will never hear Alice Vavasor's name mentioned by
me again; but I want you always to bear this in mind;--that at no
moment has my opinion of her ever been changed, nor must you in such
case imagine from my silence that it has changed. Do you understand
me?"

"I think I do."

"To my thinking she is the finest of God's creatures that I have
known. It may be that in her future life she will be severed from me
altogether; but I shall not, therefore, think the less well of her;
and I wish that you, as my friend, should know that I so esteem her,
even though her name should never be mentioned between us." Seward,
in some few words, assured him that it should be so, and then they
finished their journey in silence.

From the station at Ely, Grey sent a message by the wires up to John
Vavasor, saying that he would call on him that afternoon at his
office in Chancery Lane. The chances were always much against finding
Mr Vavasor at his office; but on this occasion the telegram did reach
him there, and he remained till the unaccustomed hour of half past
four to meet the man who was to have been his son-in-law.

"Have you heard from her?"