amor said gravely

"It is difficult, perhaps impossible. You see, the law is based on
certain principles."

"Principles?"

A smile wreathed Mr. Paramor's mouth, but died instantly.

"Ecclesiastical principles, and according to these a person desiring a
divorce 'ipso facto' loses caste. That they should have to make spies or
beasts of themselves is not of grave importance."

Gregory came back to the table, and again buried his head in his hands.

"Don't joke, please, Paramor," he said; "it's all so painful to me."

Mr. Paramor's eyes haunted his client's bowed head.

"I'm not joking," he said. "God forbid! Do you read poetry?" And
opening a drawer, he took out a book bound in red leather. "This is a
man I'm fond of:

"'Life is mostly froth and bubble;
Two things stand like stone--
KINDNESS in another's trouble,
COURAGE in your own.'

"That seems to me the sum of all philosophy."

"Paramor," said Gregory, "my ward is very dear to me; she is dearer to me
than any woman I know. I am here in a most dreadful dilemma. On the one
hand there is this horrible underhand business, with all its publicity;
and on the other there is her position--a beautiful woman, fond of
gaiety, living alone in this London, where every man's instincts and
every woman's tongue look upon her as fair game. It has been brought
home to me only too painfully of late. God forgive me! I have even
advised her to go back to Bellew, but that seems out of the question.
What am I to do?"

Mr. Paramor rose.

"I know," he said--"I know. My dear friend, I know!" And for a full
minute he remained motionless, a little turned from Gregory. "It will be
better," he said suddenly, "for her to get rid of him. I'll go and see
her myself. We'll spare her all we can. I'll go this afternoon, and let
you know the result."

As though by mutual instinct, they put out their hands, which they shook
with averted faces. Then Gregory, seizing his hat, strode out of the
room.

He went straight to the rooms of his Society in Hanover Square. They
were on the top floor, higher than the rooms of any other Society in the
building--so high, in fact, that from their windows, which began five
feet up, you could practically only see the sky.

A girl with sloping shoulders, red cheeks, and dark eyes, was working a
typewriter in a corner, and sideways to the sky at a bureau littered with
addressed envelopes,