ace from his own
family.

His wife came to him that night in his dressing-room in a spirit of
feminine softness that was very unusual with her. "My dear," said
she, "let us forget what occurred this morning. If there has been any
anger we are bound as Christians to forget it." She stood over him as
she spoke, and put her hand upon his shoulder almost caressingly.

"When a man's heart is broken, he cannot forget it," was his reply.
She still stood by him, and still kept her hand upon him: but she
could think of no other words of comfort to say. "I will go to bed,"
he said. "It is the best place for me." Then she left him, and he
went to bed.

CHAPTER XLVIII

The Softness of Sir Raffle Buffle

We have seen that John Eames was prepared to start on his journey in
search of the Arabins, and have seen him after he had taken farewell
of his office and of his master there, previous to his departure; but
that matter of his departure had not been arranged altogether with
comfort as far as his official interests were concerned. He had been
perhaps a little abrupt in his mode of informing Sir Raffle Buffle
that there was a pressing cause for his official absence, and Sir
Raffle had replied to him that no private pressure could be allowed
to interfere with his public duties. "I must go, Sir Raffle, at any
rate," Johnny had said; "it is a matter affecting my family, and must
not be neglected." "If you intend to go without leave," said Sir
Raffle, "I presume you will first put your resignation into the hands
of Mr. Kissing." Now Mr. Kissing was the secretary to the Board. This
had been serious undoubtedly. John Eames was not specially anxious to
keep his present position as private secretary to Sir Raffle, but he
certainly had no desire to give up his profession altogether. He said
nothing more to the great man on that occasion, but before he left
the office he wrote a private note to the chairman expressing the
extreme importance of his business, and begging that he might have
leave of absence. On the next morning he received it back with a very
few words written across it. "It can't be done," were the few words
which Sir Raffle Buffle had written across the note from his private
secretary. Here was a difficulty which Johnny had not anticipated,
and which seemed to be insuperable. Sir Raffle would not have
answered him in that strain if he had not been very much in earnest.

"I should send him a medical certificate,"