a meeting in the north of
England; he returned on the Tuesday afternoon, looking, Erica fancied,
tired and overdone.

"Railway journeys are not quite the rest they once were to me," he
confessed, throwing himself down in a chair by the open window while she
brought him some tea. "This is very beguiling, little one; but see, I've
all these letters to answer before five."

"Your train must have been very late."

"Yes, there was a block on the line, and we stopped for half an hour in
the middle of a bean field bliss that a Londoner can't often enjoy."

"Did you get out?"

"Oh, yes, and sat upon the fence and meditated to the great delectation
of my olfactory nerves."

Erica's laugh was checked by a knock at the door. The servant announced
that a gentleman wanted to see Miss Raeburn.

"Some message from Mr. Bircham, I expect," said Erica to her father.
"Ask him upstairs, please. I only hope he doesn't want me to write
another article at the eleventh hour. If it's the little Irish
sub-editor, you must be very polite to him, father, for he has been kind
to me."

But it was no message from the "Daily Review" office; a perfect stranger
was shown into the room.

He bowed slightly as he entered.

"Are you Miss Erica Raeburn?" he asked, coming toward her.

"I am," she replied. "What is your business with me?"

"I have to place this document in your hands."

He gave her a paper which she rapidly unfolded. To her dying day
she could always see that hateful bit of foolscap with its alternate
printing and writing. The words were to this effect:

Writ Subpoena Ad Test, at Sittings of High Court. IN THE HIGH COURT OF
JUSTICE, QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION. Between Luke Raeburn, Plaintiff, and
William Henry Pogson, Defendant VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the
United kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the
Faith, To Erica Raeburn, greeting. We command you to attend at the
sittings of the Queen's Bench division of our High Court of Justice to
be holden at Westminster on Tuesday, the Twentieth day of June, 18__, at
the hour of half past Ten in the forenoon, and so from day to day during
the said sittings, until the above cause is tried, to give evidence on
behalf of the Defendant. Witness, etc., etc.

Erica read the paper twice before she looked up; she had grown white to
the very lips. Raeburn, recognizing the form of a subpoena, came
hastily forward, and in the merest glance saw how matters were. By no