a
strict judge.

Robert soon reappeared, and in a preoccupied way, kissed the one and
shook hands with the other, saying, 'She has locked her door, and says
she wants nothing. I will try again presently--not you, Phoebe; I could
only get her home on condition she should see no one without her own
consent. So you had my telegram?'

'We met it at the station. How did you find her?'

'Had the man been written to?' asked Robert.

'No,' said Mervyn; 'we thought it best to treat it as childish nonsense,
not worth serious notice, or in fact--I was not equal to writing.'

The weary, dejected tone made Robert look up, contrary to the brothers'
usual habit of avoiding one another's eye, and he exclaimed, 'I did not
know! You were not going to London to-night?'

'Worse staying at home,' murmured Mervyn, as, leaning on a corner of the
mantelshelf, he rested his head on his hand.

'I was coming with him,' said Phoebe; 'I thought if he gave directions,
you could act.'

Robert continued to cast at him glances of dismay and compunction while
pursuing the narrative. 'Hastings must have learnt by some means that
the speculation was not what he had imagined; for though he met her at
Paddington--'

'He did?'

'She had telegraphed to him while waiting at Swindon. He found her out
before I did, but he felt himself in a predicament, and I believe I was a
welcome sight to him. He begged me to do him the justice to acquit him
of all participation in this rash step, and said he had only met Bertha
with a view to replacing her in the hands of her family. How it would
have been without me, I cannot tell, but I am inclined to believe that he
did not know how to dispose of her. She clung to him and turned away
from me so decidedly that I was almost grateful for the line he took; and
he was obliged to tell her, with many fine speeches, that he could not
expose her to share his poverty; and when the poor silly child declared
she had enough for both, he told her plainly that it would not be
available for six years, and he could not let her--tenderly nurtured,
etc., etc. Then supposing me uninformed, he disclaimed all betrayal of
your confidence, and represented all that had passed as sport with a
child, which to his surprise she had taken as earnest.'

'Poor Bertha!' exclaimed Phoebe.

'Pray where did this scene take place?' asked Mervyn.

'On the platform; but it was far too quiet to attract notice.'

'What! you had no fits