Barbara knew nothing; not a shadow of suspicion had ever
penetrated to her mind that Lady Isabel was jealous of her. Had she been
told that such was the fact, she would have laughed in derision at her
informant. Mr. Carlyle's happy wife, proudly secure in her position and
in his affection, jealous of _her!_ of her, to whom he had never given
an admiring look or a loving word! It would have taken a great deal to
make Barbara believe that.

How different were the facts in reality. These meetings of Mr. Carlyle's
and Barbara's, instead of episodes of love-making and tender speeches,
were positively painful, especially to Barbara, from the unhappy
nature of the subject to be discussed. Far from feeling a reprehensible
pleasure at seeking the meetings with Mr. Carlyle, Barbara shrank from
them; but that she was urged by dire necessity, in the interests of
Richard, she would wholly have avoided such. Poor Barbara, in spite
of that explosion of bottled-up excitement years back, was a lady,
possessed of a lady's ideas and feelings, and--remembering the
explosion--it did not accord with her pride at all to be pushing herself
into what might be called secret meetings with Archibald Carlyle. But
Barbara, in her sisterly love, pressed down all thought of self, and
went perseveringly forward for Richard's sake.

Mr. Carlyle was seated one morning in his private room at his office,
when his head clerk, Mr. Dill came in. "A gentleman is asking to see
you, Mr. Archibald."

"I am too busy to see anybody for this hour to come. You know that,
Dill."

"So I told him, sir, and he says he'll wait. It is that Captain Thorn
who is staying here with John Herbert."

Mr. Carlyle raised his eyes, and they encountered those of the old man;
a peculiar expression was in the face of both. Mr. Carlyle glanced down
at the parchment he was perusing, as if calculating his time. Then he
looked up again and spoke.

"I will see _him_, Dill. Send him in."

The business leading to the visit was quite simple. Captain Frederick
Thorn had got himself into some trouble and vexation about "a bill"--as
too many captains will do--and he had come to crave advice of Mr.
Carlyle.

Mr. Carlyle felt dubious about giving it. This Captain Thorn was a
pleasant, attractive sort of a man, who won much on acquaintance; one
whom Mr. Carlyle would have been pleased, in a friendly point of
view, and setting professional interest apart, to help out of his
difficulties; b