udge to make things human suddenly? To make his mother speak out of her
heart, and say what, perhaps, she didn't know herself, before all these
people! It wasn't decent. His mother answered, rather low: "Yes, my
Lord." Val saw the Judge nod. 'Wish I could take a cock-shy at your
head!' he thought irreverently, as his mother came back to her seat
beside him. Witnesses to his father's departure and continued absence
followed--one of their own maids even, which struck Val as particularly
beastly; there was more talking, all humbug; and then the Judge
pronounced the decree for restitution, and they got up to go. Val walked
out behind his mother, chin squared, eyelids drooped, doing his level
best to despise everybody. His mother's voice in the corridor roused him
from an angry trance.

"You behaved beautifully, dear. It was such a comfort to have you. Your
uncle and I are going to lunch."

"All right," said Val; "I shall have time to go and see that fellow."
And, parting from them abruptly, he ran down the stairs and out into the
air. He bolted into a hansom, and drove to the Goat's Club. His
thoughts were on Holly and what he must do before her brother showed her
this thing in to-morrow's paper.

*******************************

When Val had left them Soames and Winifred made their way to the Cheshire
Cheese. He had suggested it as a meeting place with Mr. Bellby. At that
early hour of noon they would have it to themselves, and Winifred had
thought it would be 'amusing' to see this far-famed hostelry. Having
ordered a light repast, to the consternation of the waiter, they awaited
its arrival together with that of Mr. Bellby, in silent reaction after
the hour and a half's suspense on the tenterhooks of publicity. Mr.
Bellby entered presently, preceded by his nose, as cheerful as they were
glum. Well! they had got the decree of restitution, and what was the
matter with that!

"Quite," said Soames in a suitably low voice, "but we shall have to begin
again to get evidence. He'll probably try the divorce--it will look
fishy if it comes out that we knew of misconduct from the start. His
questions showed well enough that he doesn't like this restitution
dodge."

"Pho!" said Mr. Bellby cheerily, "he'll forget! Why, man, he'll have
tried a hundred cases between now and then. Besides, he's bound by
precedent to give ye your divorce, if the evidence is satisfactory. We
won't let um know that M