ay something as Giles was taking his leave. However,
she held her peace and merely informed him that she missed her children
dreadfully. "But I'm sure that is not what she meant to say," thought
Ware, as he departed. On looking back he saw her thin white face at the
window and concluded--as Mrs. Parry did--that the poor lady had
something on her mind.

In due time he arrived at the Priory and was shown into a gloomy
drawing-room, where George Franklin received him. Giles apologized for
not having called before, and was graciously pardoned.

"And, indeed, I should have called on you, Mr. Ware," said Franklin,
"but I am such a recluse that I rarely go out."

"You call on Mr. Morley, I believe?"

"Yes; he is a cheery man, and won't take no for an answer. I find that
his company does me good, but I prefer to be alone with my books."

There were many books in the room and many loose papers on the desk,
which Giles saw were manuscripts. "I write sometimes," said Franklin,
smiling in his sour way. "It distracts my mind from worries. I am
writing a history of Florence during the age of the Renaissance."

"A very interesting period," Giles assured him.

"Yes; and my daughter Portia helps me a great deal. You have met her,
Mr. Ware. She told me."

"Yes; we met in the park. She was looking for something, which I found;
but I gave it to--to----" Giles hesitated, for he was on dangerous
ground. "To another lady," he finished desperately, and waited for the
storm to break.

To his surprise the man smiled. "You mean my niece Anne," said he in the
calmest way.

"Yes; I do mean Miss Denham. But I did not know that--that----"

"That I wished you to know she was under my roof. Is that it?"

"Yes," stammered Giles, quite at sea. He did not expect this candor.

Franklin rather enjoyed his confusion. "I did not intend to let you know
that she was here. It was her own request that you were kept in
ignorance. But since you met her----"

"Did you hear of our meeting?"

"Certainly. Anne told me of it directly she came back. Oh, I have heard
all about you, Mr. Ware. My niece confessed that you loved her, and from
Morley I heard that you defended her."

"Did Morley know that Anne was here?"

"Certainly not. At the outset of our acquaintance he informed me that he
believed her to be guilty. I resolved to say nothing, lest he might tell
the police."

"Why did you not tell him that she was innocent?" asked Giles hotly.

The ma