her husband's behalf, and whether there might
not arise a question whether, being now his wife, her evidence could be
taken on what had happened before she was his wife, was by no means
sure--"Why didn't they call your mother?" John said, as Mrs. Dennistoun
also had said--but he did not at all understand, how could he? the dismay
that came over Elinor, and the "Not for the world," which came from her
lips. He had come in to see her in the morning as he went down to his
chambers, on the very morning when Pippo, quite unexpected and also not
at all desired, was arriving at Euston Square.

"It would have been much better," he said, "in every way if they had
called your mother--who of course must know exactly what you know,
Elinor, in respect to this matter----"

"No," said Elinor with dry lips. "She knows nothing. She--calculates
back by little incidents--she does not remember: I--do----"

"That's natural, I suppose," said John, with an impatient sigh and a
half-angry look. "Still--my aunt----"

"Would do no good at all: you may believe me, John. Don't let us speak
of this any more. I know what has to be done: my mother would twist
herself up among her calculations--about Alick Hudson's examination and
I know not what. Whereas I--there is nothing, nothing more to be said. I
thought I could escape, and it is your doing if I now see that I cannot
escape. I can but hope that Providence will protect my boy. He is at
school, where they have little time for reading the papers. He may never
even see--or at least if he does he may think it is another
Compton--some one whom he never heard of----"

"And how if he becomes Lord Lomond, as I said, before the secret is
out?"

"Oh, John," cried Elinor, wringing her hands--"don't, don't torment me
with that idea now--let only this be past and then: Oh, I see, I see--I
am not a fool--I perceive that I cannot hide him as you say if that
happens. But oh, John, for pity's sake let this be over first! Let us
not hurry everything on at the same time. He is at school. What do
schoolboys care for the newspapers, especially for trials in the law
courts? Oh, let this be over first! A boy at school--and he need never
know----"

It was at this moment that a hansom drew up, and a rattling peal came at
the door. Hansoms are not rare in Ebury Street, and how can one tell in
these small houses if the peal is at one's door or the next? Elinor
was not disturbed. She paid no attention. She expected