y halves;
certainly not when it came to throwing over a friend no longer
necessary to one's social satisfaction. But she would edge out cleverly,
magnanimously, triumphantly enough, no doubt, when the day of reckoning
should come, the day when, her nets wide spread, her bait prepared, he
must stand up before her outraged circle and positively prove himself
her lawful husband, perhaps even to the very imprint of his thumb.

'Poor old thing!' he said again; and this time his pity was shared
almost equally between both witnesses to Mr Bethany's ingenuous little
document, the loss of which had fallen so softly and pathetically that
he felt only ashamed of having discovered it so soon.

He shut back the tell-tale drawer, and after trying to collect his
thoughts in case anything should have been forgotten, he turned with a
deep trembling sigh to descend the stairs. But on the landing he drew
back at the sound of voices, and then a footstep. Soon came the sound of
a key in the lock. He blew out his candle and leant listening over the
balusters.

'Who's there?' he called quietly.

'Me, sir,' came the feeble reply out of the darkness.

'What is it, Ada? What have you come for?'

'Only, sir, to see that all was safe, and you were in, sir.'

'Yes,' he said. 'All's safe; and I am in. What if I had been out?' It
was like dropping tiny pebbles into a deep well--so long after came the
answering feeble splash.

'Then I was to go back, sir.' And a moment after the discreet voice
floated up with the faintest tinge of effrontery out of the hush. 'Is
that Dr Ferguson, too sir?'

'No, Ada; and please tell your mistress from me that Dr Ferguson is
unlikely to call again.' A keen but rather forlorn smile passed over his
face. 'He's dining with friends no doubt at Holloway. But of course if
she should want to see him he will see her to-morrow at any hour at Mrs
Lovat's. And--Ada!'

'Yes, sir?'

'Say that I'm a little better; your mistress will be relieved to hear
that I'm a little better; still not quite myself say, but, I think, a
little better.'

'Yes, sir; and I'm sure I'm very glad to hear it,' came fainter still.

'What voice was that I heard just now?'

'Miss Alice's, sir; but she came quite against my wishes, and I hope you
won't repeat it, sir. She promised if she came that mistress shouldn't
know. I was only afraid she might disturb you, or--or Dr Ferguson. And
did you say, sir, that I was to tell mistress that he MI