ut his friend did not resent it.

"The other anonymous letter--the only other one of which I have any
knowledge--was addressed to the wife of your colleague--I don't think
he's your rival--Dr. Willows."

"Oh!" Anstice opened his eyes; he had not expected this revelation.
"Poor little woman! What a shame to victimize her!"

"Yes--as you know, she's quite a girl, they've only been married three
months; and the letter worried her considerably--so much so, in fact,
that as Willows is away on a week's holiday she sent for me to advise
her in the matter."

"What advice did you give her?"

"Well, in the first flush of indignation she was all for sending the
horrid thing on to you--a pretty sure sign that any accusation against
you had missed its mark," said Carey with a smile. "However, her heart
failed her at the critical moment and she sent for me instead. She was
at school with some young cousins of mine and we are on quite friendly
terms; so she confided her perplexity to me at once."

"I see." Anstice was thinking hard. "And I suppose you returned her
confidence by giving her yours?"

"Yes." Carey looked at him frankly. "I requested her to keep my
confidence as I would keep hers--save to you--and I am sure she will do
so. But"--he spoke gravely now--"I am afraid, Anstice, there is someone
in the neighbourhood who wishes to work you ill."

"By the way"--Anstice was not listening very closely--"you have not yet
told me the nature of the accusation. I presume it was the same in both
cases?"

"Practically, yes. It was a statement, made very plainly and directly,
that you--you----"

He broke off, his thin cheeks flushing; and Anstice smiled rather dryly.

"Don't let it distress you," he said, with an attempt at jocularity.
"Suppose I save you the trouble of repeating the contents of the
letters. I daresay the writer stated that I once, in order to get myself
out of a tight place in India, wantonly sacrificed the woman who was my
companion?"

"Yes," said Carey slowly, "that was the substance of both
communications. The idea was, I gather, to prevent the recipients having
confidence in you by pointing to you as one who would save himself at
the expense of a woman. Of course"--he spoke more fluently now--"no one
who knew you would dream of attaching any weight whatever to that sort
of cruel and senseless lie; and as I told Mrs. Willows, such a baseless
slander is better left to die for want of notice. She quite agr