said. Then
I came over as soon as I could, because I thought Mr. Wilks ought to know
about it."

Mr. Wilks cleared his throat and turned an agonized eye on Mr. Nugent.
He would have liked to have asked why Mrs. Silk should think it necessary
to inform him, but the fear of precipitating a crisis stayed his tongue.

"What I'm to do, I don't know," continued Mrs. Silk, feebly. You can't
'ave two queens in one 'ouse, so to speak."

"But she was walking out with Teddy long ago," urged Mr. Wilks. "It's no
worse now than then."

"But I wouldn't be married by license," said Mrs. Silk, deftly ignoring
the remark. "If I can't be asked in church in the proper way I won't be
married at all."

"Quite right," said Mr. Nugent; "there's something so sudden about a
license," he added, with feeling.

"Me and Mr. Wilks was talking about marriage only the other day," pursued
Mrs. Silk, with a bashfulness which set every nerve in the steward's body
quivering, "and we both agreed that banns was the proper way.

"You was talking about it," corrected Mr. Wilks, in a hoarse voice. "You
brought up the subject and I agreed with you--not that it matters to me
'ow people get married. That's their affair. Banns or license, it's all
one to me."

"I won't be married by license," said Mrs. Silk, with sudden petulance;
"leastways, I'd rather not be," she added, softening.

Mr. Wilks took his handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose
violently. Mrs. Silk's methods of attack left him little opportunity for
the plain speaking which was necessary to dispel illusions. He turned a
watery, appealing eye on to Mr. Nugent, and saw to his surprise that that
gentleman was winking at him with great significance and persistence. It
would have needed a heart of stone to have been unaffected by such
misery, and to-night Mr. Nugent, thankful for his own escape, was in a
singularly merciful mood.

"All this sounds as though you are going to be married," he said, turning
to Mrs. Silk with a polite smile.

The widow simpered and looked down, thereby affording Mr. Nugent an
opportunity of another signal to the perturbed steward, who sat with such
a look of anxiety on his face lest he should miss his cue that the young
man's composure was tried to the utmost.

"It's been a understood thing for a long time," she said, slowly, "but I
couldn't leave my son while 'e was single and nobody to look after 'im.
A good mother makes a good wife, so they s