must he do now at once? He felt that it was his duty to hurry
up to London, but he could not bring himself to live in the same house
with the Dean. His wife must be taken away from her father. However bad
may have been the language used by the Marquis, however indefensible,
he could not allow himself even to seem to keep up affectionate
relations with the man who had half slaughtered his brother. He too
thought of what the world would say, he too felt that such an affair,
after having become known to the police, would be soon known to every
one else. But what must he do at once? He had not as yet made up his
mind as to this when he took his place at the Brotherton Railway
Station on the morning after he had received the letters.

But on reaching the station in London he had so far made up his mind as
to have his portmanteau taken to the hotel close at hand, and then to
go to Munster Court. He had hoped to find his wife alone; but on his
arrival the Dean was there also. "Oh, George," she said, "I am so glad
you have come; where are your things?" He explained that he had no
things, that he had come up only for a short time, and had left his
luggage at the station. "But you will stay here to-night?" asked Mary,
in despair.

Lord George hesitated, and the Dean at once saw how it was. "You will
not go back to Brotherton to-day," he said. Now, at this moment the
Dean had to settle in his mind the great question whether it would be
best for his girl that she should be separated from her husband or from
her father. In giving him his due it must be acknowledged that he
considered only what might in truth be best for her. If she were now
taken away from him there would be no prospect of recovery. After all
that had passed, after Lord George's submission to his brother, the
Dean was sure that he would be held in abhorrence by the whole Germain
family. Mary would be secluded and trodden on, and reduced to pale
submission by all the dragons till her life would be miserable. Lord
George himself would be prone enough to domineer in such circumstances.
And then that ill word which had been spoken, and which could only be
effectually burned out of the thoughts of people by a front to the
world at the same time innocent and bold, would stick to her for ever
if she were carried away into obscurity.

But the Dean knew as well as others know how great is the evil of a
separation, and how specially detrimental such a step would be to a
yo