ou?" she asked.

"Someone had to suffer, and I could best bear it. I am a man, a strong,
hard piece of humanity, and well able to stand a few bad names. But
there are others, weak and frail, who would be destroyed by the scandal
of bitter tongues. Better the world should abuse me than them. Some day
I shall stand innocent in the eyes of the world as in the sight of God."

"Then it is all lies?" she asked, looking into his brave, ugly face.

"It is true that I was divorced, and true that I am innocent," he
answered.

"I believe you," she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and
kissing him. "My heart is light again. Little I care what people may say
or think when I know it is false. Sure, there is only one that can truly
judge us, Almighty God, and to Him I will go and return thanks."

She went smilingly out of the office, and Kathleen recognised that
Denis Quirk had proved his innocence to his mother's satisfaction.

Ebenezer Brown seized the opportunity for reviving "The Observer" with
Gerard as editor. In capability and brilliance he was not to be compared
with Cairns, but the public marked its disapprobation of Denis Quirk by
supporting "The Observer" and neglecting its rival. Day by day the
circulation and the advertisements of "The Mercury" dwindled until at
last Denis Quirk summoned a meeting of those interested in his paper.

"If we intend to win out, I must go," he said. "The public has awoke to
a sense of virtue and selected me for punishment. It has blundered on
the wrong man, but that does not make the case any better. When I have
gone, "The Mercury" will return to its own and destroy 'The Observer'."

"I say stay in Grey Town and fight it out," said Dr. Marsh. "I am
prepared to put my last penny into the paper."

Samuel Quirk was there with Dr. Marsh, Cairns, and the staff of the
paper, right down to Tim O'Neill.

"Would you be running away?" Samuel Quirk asked indignantly, "with me to
help you fight the blackguards? You, an Irishman, whose fathers have
battled for independence in the dark days as in the fine ones? No, Denis
you will remain here and trample 'The Observer' under your feet once
again."

"I don't need any pay, sir," said Tim O'Neill. "I'll work for nothing,
just for the love of you and the old 'Mercury'."

"Good boy, Tim! You are gold from the hair of your head to the soles of
your feet. But I shall go to Melbourne and open out there. Once I am
out, 'The Mercury' will have a fa