rhaps a couple of seconds, and then her
paper lay across her lap.

"Of what?" she asked, with some presence of mind, for she had never an
instant's doubt that the question referred to the topic of the hour.

"We were reading the same paper," replied the questioner, with perfect
courtesy; "it only struck me that we might both be reading the same
thing, and feeling equally amazed at the verdict."

"You mean in the Minchin case," said Rachel steadily, and without the
least interrogation in her tone. "Yes, I was reading it, as I suppose
everybody is. But I disagree with you about the verdict."

The young widow's manner was as downright as her words. There was a
sudden raising of the bushy eyebrows in the opposite corner, a brief
opening of the black eyes underneath.

"Pardon me," said the gentleman, breaking into a smile; "I was not aware
that I had expressed an opinion on that point."

"I understood you were amazed," said Rachel, dryly.

"And are not you?" cried the other point-blank. "Do you mean to tell me
that you were prepared for an acquittal?"

"I was prepared for anything," replied Rachel, returning a peculiarly
penetrating stare with one at least as steady, and yet holding her
breath for very fear lest this stranger had found her out, until his
next words allayed the suspicion.

"Madam, have you followed the case?"

"Indeed I have," sighed honest Rachel.

"And as a woman you believe this woman innocent?"

"I do."

It was hard enough to say no more than that; but Rachel was very fresh
from her great lesson in self-control.

"It is easy to see that you do not," she merely permitted herself to
add.

"On the contrary," said he, with great precision; "on the contrary, my
dear madam, I believe this poor lady to be as innocent as yourself."

Again their eyes were locked; again Rachel drew the only inference from
so pointed a pronouncement, and yet again was the impression shaken by
her companion's next words.

"But I really have no right to an opinion," said he; "since, unlike you,
I cannot claim to have read the case. Nor is that the interesting thing
now." The stations had come and gone, until now they were at Victoria.
The speaker looked out of the window, until they were off again, and off
by themselves as before. "The interesting thing, to me, is not what this
poor lady has or has not done, but what on earth she is going to do
now!"

He looked at her again, and now Rachel was sure. But there wa