t stir. An anxious
appeal began to creep into the women's eyes.

"Mr. Vigil," said Mrs. Shortman at last, "Mr. Vigil, do you think---"

Gregory raised his face; it was flushed to the roots of his hair.

"Read that, Mrs. Shortman."

Handing her a pale grey letter stamped with an eagle and the motto
'Strenuus aureaque penna' he rose and paced the room. And as with his
long, light stride he was passing to and fro, the woman at the bureau
conned steadily the writing, the girl at the typewriter sat motionless
with a red and jealous face.

Mrs. Shortman folded the letter, placed it on the top of the bureau, and
said without raising her eyes--

"Of course, it is very sad for the poor little girl; but surely, Mr.
Vigil, it must always be, so as to check, to check----"

Gregory stopped, and his shining eyes disconcerted her; they seemed to
her unpractical. Sharply lifting her voice, she went on:

"If there were no disgrace, there would be no way of stopping it. I know
the country better than you do, Mr. Vigil."

Gregory put his hands to his ears.

"We must find a place for her at once."

The window was fully open, so that he could not open it any more, and he
stood there as though looking for that place in the sky. And the sky he
looked at was very blue, and large white birds of cloud were flying over
it.

He turned from the window, and opened another letter.

"LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS,

"May 24, 1892.

"MY DEAR VIGIL,

"I gathered from your ward when I saw her yesterday that she has
not told you of what, I fear, will give you much pain. I asked her
point-blank whether she wished the matter kept from you, and her answer
was, 'He had better know--only I'm sorry for him.' In sum it is this:
Bellow has either got wind of our watching him, or someone must have
put him up to it; he has anticipated us and brought a suit against your
ward, joining George Pendyce in the cause. George brought the citation
to me. If necessary he's prepared to swear there's nothing in it. He
takes, in fact, the usual standpoint of the 'man of honour.'

"I went at once to see your ward. She admitted that the charge is true.
I asked her if she wished the suit defended, and a counter-suit brought
against her husband. Her answer to that was: 'I absolutely don't care.'
I got nothing from her but this, and, though it sounds odd, I believe
it to be true. She appears to be in a reckless mood, and to have no
particular ill-will against her husba