he said, emphasizing his words in his
gushing way; 'and of course to our little circle,' he said, turning to
Mr. Semple in an explanatory manner, 'it is more particularly painful
and distressing, because Sir John and Lady Falconer had only just
renewed a very old acquaintance with the deceased lady.'

'We knew Mrs. Ogilvie very well in Spain,' said Lady Falconer in her
charming voice, still confining her remarks to Mr. Semple.

'Ah!' said the lawyer, 'you knew her in Spain?'

'Yes,' said Lady Falconer, 'and it was one of those friendships which I
believe it was intended on both sides should be renewed when we should
return to England; for, on my own and on my husband's part, it was a
matter of real liking. But we have been on foreign service ever since
we were married, and I never met Mrs. Ogilvie again till she drove over
to the races at Sedgwick.'

Mr. Semple detached himself and his companion from the little group
which Mr. Lawrence was showing round with so much assiduity, and, as
they paced the broad walks of the terrace together, he said to her,
with an air of frank confidence, 'You were with her, perhaps, before
her elder child died?'

'No,' said Lady Falconer, 'and rather strangely I never knew till the
other day that Mrs. Ogilvie had lost a child. There was only one boy
with her when we knew her at Juarez; and, although she was in deep
mourning at the time, we knew, of course, that she was in the first
year of her widowhood. But we had no idea, as I was telling Mrs.
Wrottesley the other day, that Mrs. Ogilvie had suffered a double loss.'

Mr. Semple led the way through the orchid-house and stopped to examine
some of the blooms with absorbed attention. 'It is very chilly,' he
said, as he stepped out into the cold air after that of the hot
greenhouse; 'I hope you will not catch cold.' He locked his hands
lightly behind his back as he walked, and continued to talk to the
companion by his side. 'I wonder,' he said, 'if you could tell me
exactly the year and the month when you first met Mrs. Ogilvie? There
are various formalities to be gone through, in connection with Captain
Ogilvie's accession to the property, which necessitate hunting up
family records, and these have been very badly kept in the Ogilvie
family. Also, may I say this to you in confidence? There was an idea
in many people's minds that, about the time of Colonel Ogilvie's death
and the early infancy of the second son, Peter, Mrs. Ogil