k her; from
my despairing heart, I should like to thank her," she said to me as I
stood by her side before leaving. "Do you know"--she went on, catching
me by the dress as I was turning away--"what kind of a man she is going
to marry? She has such a loving heart, and marriage is such a fearful
risk."

"Fearful?" I repeated.

"Is it not fearful? To give one's whole soul to a man and be met by--I
must not talk of it; I must not think of it--But is he a good man? Does
he love Miss Althorpe? Will she be happy? I have no right to ask,
perhaps, but my gratitude towards her is such that I wish her every joy
and pleasure."

"Miss Althorpe has chosen well," I rejoined. "Mr. Stone is a man in ten
thousand."

The sigh that answered me went to my heart.

"I will pray for her," she murmured; "that will be something to live
for."

I did not know what reply to make to this. Everything which this girl
said and did was so unexpected and so convincing in its sincerity, I
felt moved by her even against my better judgment. I pitied her and yet
I dared not urge her on to speak, lest I should fail in my task of
making her well. I therefore confined myself to a few haphazard
expressions of sympathy and encouragement, and left her in the hands of
the nurse.

Next day Mr. Gryce called.

"Your patient is better," said he.

"Much better," was my cheerful reply. "This afternoon she will be able
to leave the house."

"Very good; have her down at half-past three and I will be in front with
a carriage."

"I dread it," I cried; "but I will have her there."

"You are beginning to like her, Miss Butterworth. Take care! You will
lose your head if your sympathies become engaged."

"It sits pretty firmly on my shoulders yet," I retorted; "and as for
sympathies, you are full of them yourself. I saw how you looked at her
yesterday."

"Bah, _my_ looks!"

"You cannot deceive me, Mr. Gryce; you are as sorry for the girl as you
can be; and so am I too. By the way, I do not think I should speak of
her as a girl. From something she said yesterday I am convinced she is a
married woman; and that her husband----"

"Well, madam?"

"I will not give him a name, at least not before your scheme has been
carried out. Are you ready for the undertaking?"

"I will be this afternoon. At half-past three she is to leave the house.
Not a minute before and not a minute later. Remember."

XXXV.

A RUSE.

It was a new thing for me to enter int