in her room, reading. She's been reading all day. Heaven
only knows how she can do it. I tried, and all the letters swam before
my eyes. It drives me mad to see how calm she is.'

They began to talk of the immediate future. Lady Kelsey had put a large
sum at Lucy's disposal, and it was arranged that the two children should
take their father to some place in the south of France where he could
rest after the terrible ordeal.

'I don't know what they would all have done without you,' said Mrs.
Crowley. 'You have been a perfect angel.'

'Nonsense,' smiled Lady Kelsey. 'They're my only relations in the world,
except Bobbie, who's very much too rich as it is, and I love Lucy and
George as if they were my own children. What is the good of my money
except to make them happy and comfortable?'

Mrs. Crowley remembered Dick's surmise that Lady Kelsey had loved Fred
Allerton, and she wondered how much of the old feeling still remained.
She felt a great pity for the kind, unselfish creature. Lady Kelsey
started as she heard the street door slam. But it was only George who
entered.

'Oh, George, where have you been? Why didn't you come in to luncheon?'

He looked pale and haggard. The strain of the last fortnight had told on
him enormously, and it was plain that his excitement was almost
unbearable.

'I couldn't eat anything. I've been walking about, waiting for the
damned hours to pass. I wish I hadn't promised father not to go into
court. Anything would have been better than this awful suspense. I saw
the man who's defending him when they adjourned for luncheon, and he
told me it was all right.'

'Of course it's all right. You didn't imagine that your father would be
found guilty.'

'Oh, I knew he wouldn't have done a thing like that,' said George
impatiently. 'But I can't help being frightfully anxious. The papers are
awful. They've got huge placards out: _County gentleman at the Old
Bailey. Society in a Bucket Shop._'

George shivered with horror.

'Oh, it's awful!' he cried.

Lady Kelsey began to cry again, and Mrs. Crowley sat in silence, not
knowing what to say. George walked about in agitation.

'But I know he's not guilty,' moaned Lady Kelsey.

'If he's guilty or not he's ruined me,' said George. 'I can't go up to
Oxford again after this. I don't know what the devil's to become of me.
We're all utterly disgraced. Oh, how could he! How could he!'

'Oh, George, don't,' said Lady Kelsey.

But George, with a