their guests, she
thus addressed them:

"Ladies, now let us preserve a calm, cold, and dignified demeanor, so as
to let them understand that we have simply taken compassion upon them,
not as husbands, but as men, and in the name of a common humanity."

"Exactly," assented Mrs. Rutherford. "No beggar, especially at this
season, should be turned away either cold or hungry from my door."

The speech addressed by Mr. Rutherford to his friends and partners in
adversity was quite in consonance with that uttered by Mrs. Honey.

"Gentlemen," said he, "do not let us show elation or be too eager to
forgive our wives, but bear ourselves as just men who, having received
overtures for peace, are willing to grant proper consideration to
proffered terms of capitulation."

Following their host, Wildfen and Honey supported between them Mr.
Plowden, who when he entered the dining-room seemed much cheered by the
absence of Miss Fithian. No word was spoken as the husbands entered, and
in stern silence each retook the seat he had occupied on Christmas Eve.
The turkey--a grand bird, yellow-meated and tender from fattening on
English walnuts--had been served and eaten in silence.

Suddenly Sam ushered in a shivering telegraph-boy, with a message for
Mr. Rutherford. When the diners were left alone again, the host arose
and said:

"Friends, last evening you heard made against me a charge which I was,
at the time, bound in honor not to refute. It fortunately happens that
you are all present to hear my exculpation. First let me read this
telegram: 'Your message received by fortunate accident. Tell everything.
No further need for secrecy. Mother dead two months. Daughter with
me.--_Charles Wilbour._' Now for the solution of it. I inherited my
father's practice, and some odd clients he had. Among them was a
gentleman who had made a secret marriage, for which his wealthy mother,
if she had known of it, would have disinherited him. It was effectually
concealed, and he had a daughter pretty well grown when I had anything
to do with the case. His wife had died but a little while before. He
was recalled home to his mother, whose health was believed to be
failing, and knowing that he would have to remain there some time, he
wished his child put in a boarding-school, as a place of safe care for
her, and under a false name, to still conceal her identity while his
mother lived. He came to me, as his lawyer, to so dispose of her, under
a solemn pledg