Queeker, "that your description is correct."

To the amazement, not to say consternation, of every one, Katie covered
her face with her hands and burst into tears, exclaiming in an agony of
distress that she knew it; she had feared it after sending him away;
that she had ruined him, and that it was too late now to do anything.

"No, not too late, perhaps," she repeated, suddenly raising her large
beautiful eyes, which swam in tears; "oh papa, come with me up-stairs, I
must speak with you alone at once."

She seized her astonished father by the hand and led him unresisting
from the room.

Having hurriedly related all she knew about Billy Towler, Morley Jones,
and Nora, she looked up in his face and demanded to know what _was_ to
be done.

"Done, my dear child," he replied, looking perplexed, "we must go at
once and see how much can be undone. You tell me you have Nora's
address. Well, we'll go there at once."

"But--but," said Katie, "Nora does not know the full extent of her
father's wickedness, and we want to keep it from her if possible."

"A very proper desire to spare her pain, Katie, but in the circumstances
we cannot help ourselves; we must do what we can to frustrate this man's
designs and save the boy."

So saying Mr Durant descended to the dining-room. He explained that
some suspicious facts had come to his daughter's knowledge which
necessitated instant action; said that he was sorry Mr Queeker felt it
incumbent on him to maintain secrecy in regard to his mission, but that
he could not think of pressing him to act in opposition to his
convictions, and, dismissing his guests with many apologies, went out
with Katie in search of the abode of Nora Jones.

Stanley Hall, whose curiosity was aroused by all that had passed, went
down to take a walk on the pier by way of wearing it off in a
philosophical manner. He succeeded easily in getting rid of this
feeling, but he could not so easily get rid of the image of Katie
Durant. He had suspected himself in love with her before he sailed for
India; his suspicions were increased on his return to England, and when
he saw the burst of deep feeling to which she had so recently given way,
and heard the genuine expressions of remorse, and beheld her sweet face
bedewed with tears of regret and pity, suspicion was swallowed up in
certainty.

He resolved then and there to win her, if he could, and marry her! Here
a touch of perplexity assailed him, but he fough