ng his bell, and ordered
more.

The clerk appearing with a new pile of papers, appeared also with a
message. A lady, recommended by Mrs. Karnegie, of the Sheep's Head,
wished to consult Mr. Camp professionally. Mr. Camp looked at his watch,
counting out precious time before him, in a little stand on the table,
and said, "Show the lady in, in ten minutes."

In ten minutes the lady appeared. She took the client's chair and lifted
her veil. The same effect which had been produced on Mr. Karnegie was
once more produced on Mr. Camp. For the first time, for many a long year
past, he felt personally interested in a total stranger. It might have
been something in her eyes, or it might have been something in her
manner. Whatever it was, it took softly hold of him, and made him, to
his own exceeding surprise, unmistakably anxious to hear what she had to
say!

The lady announced--in a low sweet voice touched with a quiet
sadness--that her business related to a question of marriage (as
marriage is understood by Scottish law), and that her own peace of mind,
and the happiness of a person very dear to her, were concerned alike
in the opinion which Mr. Camp might give when he had been placed in
possession of the facts.

She then proceeded to state the facts, without mentioning names:
relating in every particular precisely the same succession of events
which Geoffrey Delamayn had already related to Sir Patrick Lundie--with
this one difference, that she acknowledged herself to be the woman who
was personally concerned in knowing whether, by Scottish law, she was
now held to be a married woman or not.

Mr. Camp's opinion given upon this, after certain questions had been
asked and answered, differed from Sir Patrick's opinion, as given at
Windygates. He too quoted the language used by the eminent judge--Lord
Deas--but he drew an inference of his own from it. "In Scotland, consent
makes marriage," he said; "and consent may be proved by inference. I see
a plain inference of matrimonial consent in the circumstances which you
have related to me and I say you are a married woman."

The effect produced on the lady, when sentence was pronounced on her in
those terms, was so distressing that Mr. Camp sent a message up stairs
to his wife; and Mrs. Camp appeared in her husband's private room,
in business hours, for the first time in her life. When Mrs. Camp's
services had in some degree restored the lady to herself, Mr. Camp
followed with a