that the prosecution would receive a great surprise. He
seemed highly pleased with his brief, and spoke with great admiration of
Thorndyke."

"Did he really say that--that he was confident of an acquittal?" Her
voice was breathless and unsteady, and she was clearly, as she had said,
quite unstrung. "What a relief it is," she murmured incoherently; "and
so very, very kind of you!" She wiped her eyes and laughed a queer,
shaky little laugh; then, quite suddenly, she burst into a passion of
sobbing.

Hardly conscious of what I did, I drew her gently towards me, and rested
her head on my shoulder whilst I whispered into her ear I know not what
words of consolation; but I am sure that I called her "dear Juliet," and
probably used other expressions equally improper and reprehensible.
Presently she recovered herself, and, having dried her eyes, regarded me
somewhat shamefacedly, blushing hotly, but smiling very sweetly
nevertheless.

"I am ashamed of myself," she said, "coming here and weeping on your
bosom like a great baby. It is to be hoped that your other clients do
not behave in this way."

Whereat we both laughed heartily, and, our emotional equilibrium being
thus restored, we began to think of the object of our meeting.

"I am afraid I have wasted a great deal of time," said Juliet, looking
at her watch. "Shall we be too late, do you think?"

"I hope not," I replied, "for Reuben will be looking for us; but we must
hurry."

I caught up my hat, and we went forth, closing the oak behind us, and
took our way up King's Bench Walk in silence, but with a new and
delightful sense of intimate comradeship. I glanced from time to time at
my companion, and noted that her cheek still bore a rosy flush, and when
she looked at me there was a sparkle in her eye, and a smiling softness
in her glance, that stirred my heart until I trembled with the intensity
of the passion that I must needs conceal. And even while I was feeling
that I must tell her all, and have done with it, tell her that I was her
abject slave, and she my goddess, my queen; that in the face of such a
love as mine no man could have any claim upon her; even then, there
arose the still, small voice that began to call me an unfaithful steward
and to remind me of a duty and trust that were sacred even beyond love.

In Fleet Street I hailed a cab, and, as I took my seat beside my fair
companion, the voice began to wax and speak in bolder and sterner
accents.

"C