His voice faltered as he spoke those imploring words. Under the dull
blank of his face there appeared the first signs of emotion slowly
forcing its way outward. The stunned mind was reviving faintly. Julian
saw his opportunity of aiding the recovery, and seized it. He took
Horace gently by the arm, and pointed to Mercy.

"There is your answer!" he said. "Look!--and pity her."

She had not once interrupted them while they had been speaking: she had
changed her position again, and that was all. There was a writing-table
at the side of her chair; her outstretched arms rested on it. Her head
had dropped on her arms, and her face was hidden. Julian's judgment
had not misled him; the utter self-abandonment of her attitude answered
Horace as no human language could have answered him. He looked at her.
A quick spasm of pain passed across his face. He turned once more to
the faithful friend who had forgiven him. His head fell on Julian's
shoulder, and he burst into tears.

Mercy started wildly to her feet, and looked at the two men.

"O God" she cried, "what have I done!"

Julian quieted her by a motion of his hand.

"You have helped me to save him," he said. "Let his tears have their
way. Wait."

He put one arm round Horace to support him. The manly tenderness of the
action, the complete and noble pardon of past injuries which it implied,
touched Mercy to the heart. She went back to her chair. Again shame and
sorrow overpowered her, and again she hid her face from view.

Julian led Horace to a seat, and silently waited by him until he had
recovered his self-control. He gratefully took the kind hand that had
sustained him: he said, simply, almost boyishly, "Thank you, Julian. I
am better now."

"Are you composed enough to listen to what is said to you?" Julian
asked.

"Yes. Do _you_ wish to speak to me?"

Julian left him without immediately replying, and returned to Mercy.

"The time has come," he said. "Tell him all--truly, unreservedly, as you
would tell it to me."

She shuddered as he spoke. "Have I not told him enough?" she asked.
"Do you want me to break his heart? Look at him! Look what I have done
already!"

Horace shrank from the ordeal as Mercy shrank from it.

"No, no! I can't listen to it! I daren't listen to it!" he cried, and
rose to leave the room.

Julian had taken the good work in hand: he never faltered over it for an
instant. Horace had loved her--how dearly Julian now knew for the first
t