r man in his dark experience.

In a few weeks the position seemed to be altogether lightened. He
thanked me for my sympathy and companionship, and I have never heard of
him since.

The caviller will say at once: "Could not someone else have done the
work equally well--either a near relation in the other sphere or a
ministering angel?"

The answer is: "Certainly they could have done it equally well, probably
far better."

But the point is that it happened to be the bit of work put into _my_
hands, and at least I did my best. What more can any of us say?

Again I ask: How about the "_Cui Bono_" argument?

CHAPTER IX

HAUNTINGS BY THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

1896

In this same year (1896) I remember another curious incident.

I was staying in London during the season, and some girl friends were
very anxious that I should meet a lady whom they knew intimately and
wished me to know also. As so often happens under these circumstances,
we were not in the least degree interested in each other; but that has
nothing to do with my story.

The girls had asked various other friends, but this special lady was the
_raison d'etre_ of the tea-party, and they begged me to come in good
time, because Mrs Halifax had several other engagements, and could not
pay them a long visit.

So I dressed hurriedly in order to keep the appointment, and went to the
house feeling rather bored by the whole arrangement, little dreaming
that it would be the occasion of such an interesting personal
experience. The lady turned out to be exceedingly prosperous and
extremely uninteresting, from my point of view. Probably she would have
given her ideas of me in much the same way! I realised that she had
brought a son and a daughter with her, but did _not_ know that another
young man (whose _face_ I have never seen) was also a son of hers. I
talked to the mother for the conventional quarter of an hour, and then
turned with relief to the other son whom she had mentioned, and with
whom I found several old friends in common.

Meanwhile the room was filling up with guests; amongst these late comers
I noticed the entrance of a man whose face did not impress me at all
favourably. He looked dissipated and conceited. I did not speak to this
man, but my strong impression about him is a factor in the story.

When the lady, _par excellence_, of the entertainment rose to leave the
room, followed by her son and daughter, I noticed that a second young
m