one but a through and through
innocent woman could have done it, just now--like that, I mean."

"Of course Cynthia is innocent," Mrs. Chetwinde said, rather coldly and
very firmly. "There's Canon Wilton waiting for you."

She turned away, but did not go back to the tea-table; as Dion went out
of the room he saw her sitting down on the red sofa by Mrs. Clarke.

Canon Wilton and he walked slowly away from the house. The Canon, who
had some heart trouble of which he never spoke, was not allowed to walk
fast; and to-day he was tired after his sermon at the Abbey. He inquired
earnestly about Rosamund and the child, and seemed made happy by the
good news Dion was able to give him.

"Has it made all life seem very different to you?" he asked.

Dion acknowledged that it had.

"I was half frightened at the thought of the change which was coming,"
he said. "We were so very happy as we were, you see."

The Canon's intense gray eyes shot a glance at him, which he felt rather
than saw, in the evening twilight.

"I hope you'll be even happier now."

"It will be a different sort of happiness now."

"I think children bind people together more often than not. There are
cases when it's not so, but I don't think yours is likely to be one of
them."

"Oh, no."

"Is it a good-looking baby?"

"No, really it's not. Even Rosamund thinks that. D'you know, so far
she's marvelously reasonable in her love."

"That's splendid," said Canon Wilton, with a strong ring in his voice.
"An unreasonable love is generally a love with something rotten at its
roots."

Dion stood still.

"Oh, is that true really?"

The Canon paused beside him. They were in Eaton Square, opposite to St.
Peter's.

"I think so. But I hate anything that approaches what I call mania.
Religious mania, for instance, is abhorrent to me, and, I should think,
displeasing to God. Any mania entering into a love clouds that purity
which is the greatest beauty of love. Mania--it's detestable!"

He spoke almost with a touch of heat, and put his hand on Dion's
shoulder.

"Beware of it, my boy."

"Yes."

They walked on, talking of other things. A few minutes before they
parted they spoke of Mrs. Clarke.

"Did you know her before to-day?" asked the Canon.

"No. I'd never even seen her. How dreadful for her to have to face such
a case."

"Yes, indeed."

"The fact that she's innocent gives her a great pull, though. I realized
what a pull when I was having a tal