oh, I shall
never forget his eyes!"

Mr. Shawyer walked a step or two away from her, then came back
resolutely.

"Perhaps I shall be doing no good by my interference," he said gently.
"But at least I can do no harm, when I tell you that my belief is that
your husband has never ceased to care for you! No, no--he has said
nothing to me----" he hastened to add, as Faith raised a face flushed
with eager hope. "But I pride myself that I know him very well, and
therefore I believe that he still has a great regard for you. When he
came to me this morning he was utterly broken down--he had lost
everything at one blow--his wife, his friend, and that brave girl Peg."

"Peg!" said Faith with a little shiver.

"The best friend either of you ever had," Mr. Shawyer insisted gently.
"The most loyal friend!"

"Oh, I know, I know!" said Faith weeping; she could not bear to remember
in what manner she and Peg had parted.

Mr. Shawyer went on steadily.

"Think what a shock her death has been to your husband, without his
friend's treachery, and...." he stopped, feeling her shrink beneath his
hand, and for a moment there was silence before he went on sadly:

"I have always looked upon Nicholas as a hard man of the world, perhaps
incapable of deep feeling, but this morning he was just a broken-hearted
boy when he came to tell me what had happened, and that is why I dare to
ask you if you will not go to him, and beg for his forgiveness."

"Oh--I couldn't...."

He took his hand from her shoulder.

"Then I am afraid he will go away, and that you will never see him
again."

Faith checked her sobbing. She sat with her hands clasped in her lap,
staring before her with haggard eyes.

With every passing moment now it came home to her afresh how much she
had lost, how much she had thrown away in her wilfulness and blindness.

She had been jealous of Peg, and now that Peg was dead, it would not
help her at all. Forrester had done with her. She had seen it in his
eyes last night, heard it in his voice.

Mr. Shawyer came back from the window and looked down at her very
kindly.

"Surely it is worth sacrificing a little pride to win a great
happiness," he said.

He waited a moment, but she did not speak, and he went away and left
her.

A great many people seemed to come to the house. The door-bell was
always ringing, and strange men were shut up in the study with
Forrester, asking questions and making notes.

It was about Peg, F