elf--she never does;
her whole heart will be set on the thought of giving him comfort. You
must not try to change her resolution. It would be useless.'

'The deuce take it all!' returned the Doctor irritably. 'For there will
be no peace of mind for any of us, Mike.' But Dr. Ross's voice was
hardly as clear as usual. 'I suppose I must just go and have it all out
with Emmie--there is nothing like getting an unpleasant job over; she
and Geraldine can put their heads together, but they had better keep
Harcourt away from me.'

And the Doctor stalked out of the room with an unwonted gloom on his
genial face.

Michael did not follow him. He sat still for a few minutes looking at
the Doctor's empty chair.

'I knew it; I could have said it. Audrey is just that sort of woman. She
will never give him up--whether she loves him or not--as long as she
feels he needs her. Poor Blake! poor fellow! Of the two, I hardly think
he is the one to be pitied; but she will never find that out for
herself. Never, never!'

And then Booty scratched and whined at the door, and he got up and let
him in.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

'WHO WILL COMFORT HIM?'

'Earth has nothing more tender than a woman's heart, when it is the
abode of piety.'--LUTHER.

Dr. Ross had deferred telling his wife for more than one reason: he
dreaded the effect on her emotional nature, and, above all things, he
hated a scene. But for once he was agreeably disappointed. Mrs. Ross
received the news more quietly than he expected; the very suddenness and
force of the shock made her summon up all her womanly fortitude to bear
such an overwhelming misfortune. Her first thought was for Audrey, and
she would have gone to her at once; but her husband gently detained her.

'Give her time, Emmie; she has only just left me, and she will not be
ready even for her mother. Sit down again, my dear; I cannot spare you
yet.' And Mrs. Ross very reluctantly took her seat again on the couch.

They talked a little more, and Mrs. Ross wept as she thought of that
poor dear boy, as she called him; for Cyril had grown very dear to her,
and she had begun to look on him as her own son. But it seemed as though
the whole vial of her wrath was to be emptied on the head of Mrs. Blake.
At any other time, and in different circumstances, Dr. Ross would have
been amused at the scathing invectives that were uttered by his
sweet-tempered wife.

'But, my dear Emmie, you must consider her pro