who gave it you to despatch, say it is a Mrs.
Smith, slightly known to you, whom you just met, and who was in too
great a hurry to catch her train to come into the Post Office."

Anna took a large purse out of her capacious pocket. In it she put the
telegram and the money. "I will send it off to-morrow morning," she
exclaimed. "You may count on me."

"Frau Bauer?"

She turned back.

"Only to wish you again a cordial good-night, and to say I hope you will
come again soon!"

"Indeed, that I will," she called out gratefully.

As he was shutting the back door, he saw his wife hurrying along across
the quiet little back street.

"Hullo, Polly!" he cried, and she came quickly across. "They are in
great trouble at the Deanery," she observed, "at least, Miss Edith is in
great trouble. She has been crying all to-day. They say her face is all
swelled out--that she looks an awful sight! Her lover is going away to
fight, and some one has told her that Lord Kitchener says none of the
lot now going out will ever come back! There is even talk of their being
married before he starts. But as her trousseau is not ready, my sister
thinks it would be a very stupid thing to do."

"Did the Dean get my letter?" he asked abruptly.

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that. I gave it to Mr. Dunstan, the
butler. He says that the Dean opened it and read it. And then what d'you
think the silly old thing said, Manfred?"

"You will have to get into the way of calling me Alfred," he said
calmly.

"Oh, bother!"

"Well, what did the reverend gentleman say?"

"Mr. Dunstan says that he just exclaimed, 'I'm sorry the good fellow
thinks it necessary to do that.' So you needn't have troubled after all.
All the way to the Deanery I was saying to myself, 'Mrs. Head--Polly
Head. Polly Head--Mrs. Head.' And no, it's no good pretending that I
like it, for I just don't!"

"Then you'll just have to do the other thing," he said roughly. Still,
though he spoke so disagreeably, he was yet in high good-humour. Two
hours ago this information concerning Miss Haworth's lover would have
been of the utmost interest to him, and even now it was of value, as
corroborating what Anna had already told him. Frau Bauer was going to be
very useful to him. Alfred Head, for already he was thinking of himself
by that name, felt that he had had a well-spent, as well as a pleasant,
evening.

CHAPTER XIV

Had it not been for the contents of the envelope which she