ghed Mrs Ingram softly, "there's an instinct that is
truer than sight!"

Her husband pressed her hand, but did not answer. He knew well that his
wife possessed a wonderful heart-vision which could pierce beneath the
deceptions of surface appearance, down to the truth beneath; but this
was a plane to which he could not follow; and in truth he could not
trust himself to discuss it. This dearly loved wife had always been of
an unusual exalted character, and with the decline of bodily health, she
seemed to cast from her one by one the hindering frailties of the flesh,
and to become ever more spiritual and crystalline. He reverenced, he
worshipped, but--he feared! A spirit so fine seemed out of place on
this gross earth.

But, thank God! the old gaiety was not dead, and her laugh rang clear as
ever as a few minutes later he brought a writing-table to her side, and
they embarked upon the work of tracing old friends under new conditions.

Mr Ingram would have been hard put to it to remember the names alone of
all who had been present on the historic occasion, but his wife's diary
supplied an account not only of these, but of manners and appearance,
with a surprisingly verbatim record of what each person had said. She
had the memory which records words, and now as she read over one
pronouncement after another, something of her own keenness entered into
her husband's manner.

"By jove, you have a memory! It all comes back as I hear you reading--
the very words--the very expressions. I can see Claudia sitting in that
chair, telling us about the rich cousin who sent her cast-off clothes,
and looking so wonderfully pretty and sparkling. Ah, poor Claudia!
Well--one is bound to come up against tragedy, if one follows the
happenings of nine lives for fifteen years. All things considered, I
think we have less of it than might have been expected. Who comes next
on the list? Norah Boyce, eh? We shan't have Norah, since that clever
husband of hers has got this appointment in Canada; but we know at least
that things go well with her. Nice little Norah! She deserved her good
luck. And then comes Lilith Wastneys. No need to look up her address,
eh? Care of the Rt. Hon. Hereward Lowther, would reach her the world
over. And John Harely Malham! These friends of yours have developed
into very great personages, dear! Do you think they will care to accept
invitations from simple country dwellers like ourselves?"

"I shall