s.

"I know you'll forgive me. One can't be too careful," she urged. "No one
can be father and mother both."

Mr. Medland beckoned to his daughter; she came to him, Dick standing a
few feet off.

"Whenever, Daisy," said Medland, "a thing is pleasant, one must not, in
this world, have much of it. Is that the gospel, Lady Perry?"

"You'll make young Mr. Derosne too conceited, my dear," whispered Lady
Perry, very kindly; but she favoured Dick, who knew well that he was a
sinner, with a severe glance.

Thus Eleanor Scaife, having rid her party of the Medlands--for the
moment, as she impatiently added--was at liberty to listen to the
conversation of Mrs. Puttock. Mrs. Puttock was always most civil to any
of the Government House party, and she entertained Eleanor, who
resolutely refused all invitations to dance, with plenty of gossip.
Amidst their talk and the occasional interruptions of men who joined and
left them, the evening wore away, and Eleanor had just signed to Alicia
to make ready to go, when Mrs. Puttock touched on the Premier, who was
visible across the room, chatting merrily with his host, and laughing
heartily at the Chief Justice's stories.

"The Premier seems in good spirits," said Mrs. Puttock, a little acidly.

"Oh, I expect he's only bearing up in public," laughed Eleanor. "But
there certainly is a great change in him since I first recollect him."

"Indeed, Miss Scaife."

"Yes," said Eleanor, rising, for she saw Alicia approaching under
Captain Heseltine's escort. "It was about the Jubilee time. He seemed
then quite overcome with grief at the loss of his wife. Ah, here's
Alicia!"

"Wife!" exclaimed Mrs. Puttock, bestowing on Eleanor a look of deep
significance. "It's my belief he never had a wife."

Eleanor started.

"What do you mean?" she began, but she checked herself when she found
that Alicia was close beside her. She hastily bade Mrs. Puttock
good-night.

"I mean what I say," observed that lady, with an emphatic nod. Eleanor
escaped in bewilderment.

"Who never had a wife?" asked Alicia, with a laugh, as they were putting
on their cloaks.

After a moment's pause, Eleanor answered,

"Sir John Oakapple," and she excused this deviation from truth by the
sage reflection that girls like Alicia must not be told everything.

"We all know that," commented Alicia, contemptuously. "I hoped it was
something interesting."

Eleanor enjoyed a smile in the sheltering gloom of the carriage. Sh