hat have you brought me?' Adela asked at length, noticing a little
parcel in the other's hand.

'It's a book I have been asked to give you. I shall have to explain. Do
you remember lending someone your "Christian Year"?'

The smile left Adela's face, and the muscles of her mouth strung
themselves.

'Yes, I remember,' she replied coldly.

'As I was walking back from Agworth this afternoon, he overtook me on
the road and asked me to return it to you.'

'Thank you, dear.'

Adela took the parcel and laid it aside. There was an awkward silence.
Letty could not look up.

'He was going to see Mr. Wyvern,' she continued, as if anxious to lay
stress on this. 'He seems to know Mr. Wyvern very well.'

'Yes? You didn't miss Alfred, I hope. He went out a very short time
ago.'

'No, I saw him. He stayed with the others. But I have something more to
tell you, about--about him.'

'About Alfred?'

'About Mr. Eldon.'

Adela looked at her friend with a grave surprise, much as a queen
regards a favourite subject who has been over-bold.

'I think we won't talk of him, Letty,' she said from her height.

'Do forgive me, Adela. I have promised toto say something. There must
have been a great many things said that were not true, just like this
about his marriage; I am so sure of it.'

Adela endeavoured to let the remark pass without replying to it. But her
thought expressed itself involuntarily.

'His marriage? What do you know of it?'

'Mr. Wyvern came to see mother this morning, and showed her a newspaper
that your mother gave him. It said that Mr. Eldon was going to marry an
actress, and Mr. Wyvern declared there was not a word of truth in it.
But of course your mother told you that?'

Adela sat motionless. Mrs. Waltham had not troubled herself to make
known the vicar's contradiction. But Adela could not allow herself to
admit that. Binding her voice with difficulty, she said:

'It does not at all concern me.'

'But your mother _did_ tell you, Adela?' Letty persisted, emboldened by
a thought which touched upon indignation.

'Of course she did.'

The falsehood was uttered with cold deliberateness. There was nothing to
show that a pang quivered on every nerve of the speaker.

'Who can have sent such a thing to the paper?' Letty exclaimed. 'There
must be someone who wishes to do him harm. Adela, I don't believe
_anything_ that people have said!'

Even in speaking she was frightened at her own boldness. Adela's ey