th.

"But then it's apt to be so short," said Sir Raffle Buffle. Now it
had once happened in the life of Mr. Harold Smith that he had been in
a Ministry, but, unfortunately, that Ministry had gone out almost
within a week of the time of Mr. Smith's adhesion. Sir Raffle and Mr
Smith had known each other for many years, and were accustomed to
make civil little speeches to each other in society.

"I'd sooner be a horse in a mill than have to go to an office every
day," said Mrs. Smith, coming to her husband's assistance. "You, Sir
Raffle, have kept yourself fresh and pleasant through it all; but who
besides you ever did?"

"I hope I am fresh," said Sir Raffle; "and as for pleasantness, I
will leave that for you to determine."

"There can be but one opinion," said Mrs. Thorne.

The conversation had strayed away from John Eames, and Lily was
disappointed. It was a pleasure to her when people talked of him
in her hearing, and as a question or two had been asked about him,
making him the hero of the moment, it seemed to her that he was being
robbed of his due when the little amenities between Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Smith and Sir Raffle banished his name from the circle. Nothing
more, however, was said of him at dinner, and I fear that he would
have been altogether forgotten throughout the evening, had not Lily
herself referred,--not to him, which she could not possibly have been
induced to do,--but to the subject of his journey. "I wonder whether
poor Mr. Crawley will be found guilty?" she said to Sir Raffle up in
the drawing-room.

"I am afraid he will; I am afraid he will," said Sir Raffle; "and I
fear, my dear Miss Dale, that I must go further than that. I fear I
must express an opinion that he is guilty."

"Nothing will ever make me think so," said Lily.

"Ladies are always tender-hearted," said Sir Raffle, "and especially
young ladies,--and especially pretty young ladies. I do not wonder
that such should be your opinion. But you see, Miss Dale, a man of
business has to look at these things in a business light. What I want
to know is, where did he get the cheque? He is bound to be explicit
in answering that before anybody can acquit him."

"That is just what Mr. Eames has gone abroad to learn."

"It is very well for Eames to go abroad,--though, upon my word, I
don't know whether I should not have given him different advice if I
had known how much I was to be tormented by his absence. The thing
couldn't have happe