d
upon the carpet.

Mr Slow then took up the _Christian Examiner_, and declared to her
what was their intention with reference to that. A letter should
be written from his house to the editor of the London newspaper,
giving a plain statement of the case, with all the names, explaining
that all the parties were acting in perfect concert, and that the
matter was to be decided in the only way which could be regarded as
satisfactory. In answer to this, Miss Mackenzie, almost in tears,
pointed out how distressing would be the publicity thus given to her
name "particularly"--she said, "particularly--" But she could not go
on with the expression of her thoughts, or explain that so public a
reference to a proposal of marriage from her cousin must be doubly
painful to her, seeing that the idea of such a marriage had been
abandoned. But Mr Slow understood all this, and, coming over to her,
took her gently by the hand.

"My dear," he said, "you may trust me in this as though I were your
father. I know that such publicity is painful; but, believe me, it is
the best that we can do."

Of course she had no alternative but to yield.

When the interview was over, her cousin walked home with her to
Arundel Street, and said much to her as to the necessity for this
trial. He said so much, that she, at last, dimly understood that
the matter could not be set at rest by her simple renouncing of the
property. Her own lawyer could not allow her to do so; nor could he,
John Ball, consent to receive the property in such a manner. "You
see, by that newspaper, what people would say of me."

But had he not the power of making everything easy by doing that
which he himself had before proposed to do? Why did he not again say,
"Margaret, come and be my wife?" She acknowledged to herself that he
had a right to act as though he had never said those words,--that the
facts elicited by Mr Maguire's visit to the Cedars were sufficient to
absolve him from his offer. But yet she thought that they should have
been sufficient also to induce him to renew it.

On that occasion, when he left her at the door in Arundel Street, he
had not renewed his offer.

CHAPTER XXV

Lady Ball in Arundel Street

On Christmas Day Miss Mackenzie was pressed very hard to eat her
Christmas dinner with Mr and Mrs Buggins, and she almost gave way.
She had some half-formed idea in her head that should she once
sit down to table with Buggins, she would have given up