and I
am going to order you some luncheon, and you must do your best to eat
it. I shall have to leave you for a quarter of an hour or so, until the
Oxford train is in."

"You mean to go to the station?" she asked nervously.

"Oh, Mr. Herrick, is that wise? Saul is so sharp-sighted, if he sees
you he will guess that you have been to Gresham Gardens."

"He will not see me," returned Malcolm confidently; "there is a corner
where I can secrete myself and watch the passengers go by. When we are
really off I will tell you our destination, but at present I must ask
you to have faith that I am doing my best for you."

She smiled faintly and said no more. Five minutes later the cab
stopped, and Malcolm took her upstairs and found a quiet corner for
her. "You must take a few spoonfuls of soup," he pleaded, "for the sake
of appearances. Falconer is rather famed for mock-turtle." Then he put
down the bag beside her and went on his quest. It was more than twenty
minutes before he returned.

"It is all right," he observed. "They passed me quite close. We shall
be in the train before they reach Gresham Gardens. I think I heard your
brother say that they had better do their business first." Leah
shivered; she knew too well what that business was. A quarter of an
hour later they were on their way to Cookham.

Leah seemed very much startled and even alarmed when she learnt their
destination, and at first Malcolm found it difficult to reassure her.
"Mrs. Godfrey!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I scarcely know her. Somehow she
frightens me; her eyes seem to read one through and through. And then
the Etheridges will be so near."

"I believe they are abroad," replied Malcolm, "and not expected home
until the middle of December, so you need not trouble your head about
them. But indeed you are wrong about Mrs. Godfrey; she is a dear woman,
and the greatest friend I have. She is so warm-hearted and true that
she would go through fire and water for any one she loved."

"Oh yes, no doubt."

"And not only for her friends," he went on, "for her sympathies are
world-wide. Trust her, my dear Miss Jacobi, and you will see how good
she is to you. She is not hard and censorious in her judgments, she is
far too well-balanced for that; if you can only secure Mrs. Godfrey for
a friend, you will need no other." But it was plain to him that Leah
was only half convinced; under her veil he could see she was vainly
trying to repress her tears, and his heart ac