ke; or, if she did, she paid no heed
to the mute pain and deprecation in the mother's eyes. Folding the baby
in the white shawl that had covered it, she took it in her arms, and
with slow, almost reluctant steps, went down to meet her brother.

Sydney had come upon what he felt to be a painful errand.

Although the session had begun, and the House of Commons was already
hard at work on a vain attempt to thresh out the question of
Parliamentary Procedure, he was not yet able to devote himself to the
urgent affairs of the nation, or to seek an opening for that eloquent
and fiery speech which he had elaborated in the intervals of his autumn
rest. Before he could set his mind to these things there was an equally
urgent question of domestic procedure which it was necessary for him to
arrange--a question for which he had been more or less prepared ever
since he heard of the flight of Lettice from Florence, but which had
assumed the gravest possible importance within the last few hours.

A terrible and incredible thing had come to the knowledge of Sydney
Campion. That morning he had looked in at his chambers in the Temple,
and he had found there, amongst other letters, one written about three
weeks before by Cora Walcott, which had made his blood run cold.

"SIR,"--the letter ran--"you were just and bold on that day when
you vindicated my character in the Criminal Court, and procured a
well-deserved punishment for the husband who had outraged me.
Therefore it is that I write to give you warning, and to tell you
that the man Walcott, discharged from prison, has been secretly
conveyed away by one whom you know, after I had been deceived in a
most shameful manner with a story of his death in prison. I saw her
on the day before his release--her and his child--waiting to
appropriate him, and like an idiot I believed her lies. I know not
where they hide together, but.... I seek until I find. If you know,
take my advice, and separate them. I go prepared. You proved last
time that my husband stabbed me. That was very clever on your part;
but you will not be able to prove the like thing again, if I should
meet my husband and your sister together.

"CORA WALCOTT."

This letter had exasperated Sydney beyond endurance. He did not know
Lettice's address; but, thinking it possible that Mrs. Graham might have
it, he went the same afternoon to Edwardes Square. Cla