about prayers. Auntie did always
hear me my prayers."

"Yes, dear, and so will I. There, kneel upon my lap and say them."

In the middle of the prayers--which Effie did not remember as well as
she might have done--the parlourmaid arrived again.

"Please, sir, her ladyship----"

"Tell her ladyship I am coming, and that if she is in a hurry she can go
to dinner! Go on, love."

Then he kissed her and put her to bed again.

"Daddy," said Effie, as he was going, "shall I see auntie Beatrice any
more?"

"I hope so, dear."

"And shall you see her any more? You want to see her, don't you, daddy?
She did love you very much!"

Geoffrey could bear it no longer. The truth is always sharper when it
comes from the mouth of babes and sucklings. With a hurried good-night
he fled.

In the little drawing-room he found Lady Honoria, very well dressed, and
also her friend, whose name was Mr. Dunstan. Geoffrey knew him at once
for an exceedingly wealthy man of small birth, and less breeding, but
a burning and a shining light in the Garsington set. Mr. Dunstan was
anxious to raise himself in society, and he thought that notwithstanding
her poverty, Lady Honoria might be useful to him in this respect. Hence
his presence there to-night.

"How do you do, Geoffrey?" said his wife, advancing to greet him with
a kiss of peace. "You look very well. But what an immense time you have
been dressing. Poor Mr. Dunstan is starving. Let me see. You know Mr.
Dunstan, I think. Dinner, Mary."

Geoffrey apologised for being late, and shook hands politely with Mr.
Dunstan--Saint Dunstan he was generally called on account of his rather
clerical appearance and in sarcastic allusion to his somewhat shady
reputation. Then they went in to dinner.

"Sorry there is no lady for you, Geoffrey; but you must have had plenty
of ladies' society lately. By the way, how is Miss--Miss Granger? Would
you believe it, Mr. Dunstan? that shocking husband of mine has been
passing the last month in the company of one of the loveliest girls I
ever saw, who knows Latin and law and everything else under the sun. She
began by saving his life, they were upset together out of a canoe, you
know. Isn't it romantic?"

Saint Dunstan made some appropriate--or, rather inappropriate--remark
to the effect that he hoped Mr. Bingham had made the most of such
unrivalled opportunities, adding, with a deep sigh, that no lovely young
lady had ever saved his life that he might live fo