whole story; but he reflected that his doing so would
be hardly fair towards his friend. "I don't know that there is any
absolute reason; but I'm quite sure that he is very anxious to go."

The judge at once perceived that there was something in the wind,
and during that hour in which the pheasant was being discussed up
in Graham's room, he succeeded in learning the whole from his wife.
Dear, good, loving wife! A secret of any kind from him was an
impossibility to her, although that secret went no further than her
thoughts.

"The darling girl is so anxious about him, that--that I'm afraid,"
said she.

"He's by no means a bad sort of man, my love," said the judge.

"But he's got nothing--literally nothing," said the mother.

"Neither had I, when I went a wooing," said the judge. "But,
nevertheless, I managed to have it all my own way."

"You don't mean really to make a comparison?" said Lady Staveley. "In
the first place you were at the top of your profession."

"Was I? If so I must have achieved that distinction at a very early
age." And then he kissed his wife very affectionately. Nobody was
there to see, and under such circumstances a man may kiss his wife
even though he be a judge, and between fifty and sixty years old.
After that he again spoke to his son, and in spite of the resolves
which Augustus had made as to what friendship required of him,
succeeded in learning the whole truth.

Late in the evening, when all the party had drunk their cups of tea,
when Lady Staveley was beginning her nap, and Augustus was making
himself agreeable to Miss Furnival--to the great annoyance of
his mother, who half rousing herself every now and then, looked
sorrowfully at what was going on with her winking eyes,--the judge
contrived to withdraw with Madeline into the small drawing-room,
telling her as he put his arm around her waist, that he had a few
words to say to her.

"Well, papa," said she, as at his bidding she sat herself down beside
him on the sofa. She was frightened, because such summonses were very
unusual; but nevertheless her father's manner towards her was always
so full of love that even in her fear she felt a comfort in being
with him.

"My darling," he said, "I want to ask you one or two questions--about
our guest here who has hurt himself,--Mr. Graham."

"Yes, papa." And now she knew that she was trembling with nervous
dread.

"You need not think that I am in the least angry with you, or that I
s