n't write books. I shouldn't
like to see her name stuck up in the papers. But this Miss Gray of
yours. She overcame my prejudice. She looks clean, my lad, clean outside
and within. Nell's fond of her. The dogs pawed her as if they had known
her all her life. I trust a dog's judgment. She didn't mind it either,
though she was fresh as a daisy. What do you propose to do? To ask her
to come round and see Nell to-morrow, if the sister fails? You can't
very well ask her to come to-night."

He looked wistfully at Robin.

"Miss Gray often works late," the other said, consulting his watch. "If
she is at home, why shouldn't she come back with me? She may be out, of
course; the world has begun to run after her. She is not much attracted
by the world, but she gives kindness for what she takes to be kindness.
She is not conventional. If she feels she is wanted she won't mind
coming in at ten o'clock."

"I believe Nell would talk to her," the father said eagerly. "If Nell
would talk to someone my mind would be at rest. Poor Nell! The purpose
of my life was to keep her from pain and sorrow."

He went back to his room shaking his old head, and Robin Drummond went
out into the night. He drove first to Mrs. Rooke's house, and found the
mistress absent. She had gone off to an old mother who had to be
consoled.

Fortunately it was not far to Mary Gray's little flat, not more than ten
minutes' hansom drive. He told the driver to wait while he ran up the
stone steps. To his relief, when he had rung the bell at the white door
he heard someone stirring within. Mary herself opened the door.

"Forgive my coming at this hour," he began apologetically. Even as he
spoke he remembered that he had had a chance of seeing those little
rooms that held Mary and had relinquished it on that bygone Good Friday.
He looked enviously beyond Mary herself to the glimpse of lamplit room.
He could see a white wall with pictures on its panels, a bit of a dwarf
bookcase, a chair drawn to a table heaped with books, a green-shaded
reading-lamp. Against the lighted background Mary's cloudy hair stood
out illumined.

"What is it?"

"It is my cousin. She is in great trouble. I will explain to you as we
go along. Can you come to her? Her father is anxious about her."

She was a woman in ten thousand. She asked no questions, although it
occurred to him that it must seem odd to her that she should be
summoned, that Nelly should be in great trouble, seeing that h