rs and as a safeguard against his
thoughts. He went down to the place and stayed a week. The result of his
visit was a report which Iver showed to Southend with a very significant
nod; even the mistakes in it, themselves inevitable from want of
experience, were the errors of a large mind. The touch of dogmatism did
not displease a man who valued self-confidence above all other
qualities.

"The lad will do; he'll make his way," said Iver.

Southend smiled. Lads who are equal to making their own way may go very
far if they are given such a start as he had in contemplation for Harry.
But would things go right? Southend had received an incoherent but
decidedly despairing letter from Mina Zabriska. He put it in the fire,
saying nothing to Lady Evenswood, and nothing, of course, to Mr Disney.
In the end there was perhaps no absolutely necessary connection between
the two parts of the scheme--that which concerned the lady, and that
which depended on the Minister. Yet the first would make the second so
much more easy!

Mr Disney had given no sign yet. There was a crisis somewhere abroad,
and a colleague understood to be self-opinionated; there was a crisis in
the Church, and a bishopric vacant. Lady Evenswood was of opinion that
the least attempt to hurry Robert would be fatal. There were, after all,
limits to the importance of Harry Tristram's case, and Robert was
likely, if worried, to state the fact with his own merciless vigor, and
with that to say good-by to the whole affair. The only person seriously
angry at the Prime Minister's "dawdling," was Mina Zabriska; and she had
enjoyed no chance of telling him so. To make such an opportunity for her
was too hazardous an experiment; it might have turned out well--one
could never tell with Robert--but on the whole it was not to be risked.

What Lady Evenswood would not venture, fortune dared. Mina had been
seeing sights--it was August now, a suitable month for the task--and one
evening, about half-past six, she landed her weary bones on a seat in St
James's Park for a few moments' rest before she faced the Underground.
The place was very empty, the few people there lay for the most part
asleep--workmen with the day's labor done. Presently she saw two men
walking slowly toward her from the direction of Westminster. One was
tall and slight, handsome and distinguished in appearance; in the other
she recognized the rugged awkward man whom she had met at Lady
Evenswood's. He was t