he verdict might
be expected at any moment. After some time Canon Spratte, the vicar of
the church which Lady Kelsey attended, sent up to ask if he might see
her; and Mrs. Crowley, thinking to distract her, asked him to come in.
The Canon's breezy courtliness as a rule soothed Lady Kelsey's gravest
troubles, but now she would not be comforted.

'I shall never get over it,' she said, with a handkerchief to her eyes.
'I shall never cease blaming myself. Nothing of all this would have
happened, if it hadn't been for me.'

Canon Spratte and Mrs. Crowley watched her without answering. She was a
stout, amiable woman, who had clothed herself in black because the
occasion was tragic. Grief had made her garrulous.

'Poor Fred came to me one day and said he must have eight thousand
pounds at once. He told me his partner had cheated him, and it was a
matter of life and death. But it was such a large sum, and I've given
him so much already. After all, I've got to think of Lucy and George.
They only have me to depend on, and I refused to give it. Oh, I'd have
given every penny I own rather than have this horrible shame.'

'You mustn't take it too much to heart, Lady Kelsey,' said Mrs. Crowley.
'It will soon be all over.'

'Our ways have parted for some time now,' said Canon Spratte, 'but at
one period I used to see a good deal of Fred Allerton. I can't tell you
how distressed I was to hear of this terrible misfortune.'

'He's always been unlucky,' returned Lady Kelsey. 'I only hope this will
be a lesson to him. He's like a child in business matters. Oh, it's
awful to think of my poor sister's husband standing in the felon's
dock!'

'You must try not to think of it. I'm sure everything will turn out
quite well. In another hour you'll have him with you again.'

The Canon got up and shook hands with Lady Kelsey.

'It was so good of you to come,' she said.

He turned to Mrs. Crowley, whom he liked because she was American, rich,
and a widow.

'I'm grateful, too,' she murmured, as she bade him farewell. 'A
clergyman always helps one so much to bear other people's misfortunes.'

Canon Spratte smiled and made a mental note of the remark, which he
thought would do very well from his own lips.

'Where is Lucy?' asked Mrs. Crowley, when he had gone.

Lady Kelsey threw up her hands with the feeling, half of amazement, half
of annoyance, which a very emotional person has always for one who is
self-restrained.

'She's sitting