They had walked on quite a quarter of a mile before Bertie had quite made up his mind whether to accept or reject the friendly suggestion. On the subject of Lord Leuchars' kindness he had no manner of doubt, but he was nervous in his own mind whether he might not for ever and for aye forfeit the good opinion which he so much valued. Conscience, as Mr Balfour had said in the course of his sermon, was erring on the side of self-severity.

Fortunately Betty's good sense came to the rescue. The man had muttered something to the effect that he "hardly liked to tell Lord Leuchars, that it was too- " when the girl turned round and, stopping in the path, faced him.

"What nonsense, Bertie! If any one but yourself hinted that you had done anything mean or disgraceful, anything that a gentleman would be ashamed of, I should tell whoever it was straight out that it was untrue. I know you too well, you silly boy-you are worrying yourself about some trifle, and I am not going to let you worry. You put yourself in my father's hands, and let him hand you on to Mr Balfour if he likes. But I am sure that you ought to go to the man who has known you all your life first, and not to this stranger."

For a man who is halting between two opinions, the presence of a friendly adviser who will make up his mind for him is a veritable godsend.

Bertie hesitated no longer, but, following Lord Leuchars into his study after lunch, put him into possession of the principal facts of the case.

"My poor boy," said Lord Leuchars kindly, as Bertie came to the end of his story, "you have made what we call a faux pas, but you have done nothing to be ashamed of after all. You have acted as I should expect my dear friend Jack Treherne's brother to act. You went trespassing by accident, and you came back of your own accord. Human nature is human nature after all, my dear boy, and it is the nature of a lad of your age to be attracted by a pretty face. But you committed no sin of intention against your friend, and you

at once tore yourself out of the reach of temptation. Now as I like to talk of these things in the abstract for everybody's sake, it is your fear, is it not, that the moth, if it remains too much in the vicinity of the candle, might be attracted to singe its poor little wings again and not do the candle much good either, eh?"

"Well, yes," replied Bertie with a faint smile,-"that is, if they happened to be brought very closely together. I mean they would be safer apart."

"Very well then. Listen to what I propose. I don't feel that I should pronounce a strictly impartial opinion on the matter of this South African scheme, for the simple reason that I know dear friends of mine who could ill spare you. Put it before my good Rector: he is a kind man, and a wise man, and a foreseeing man, and you may take my word for it that he would keep your secret as closely as I shall. Then if you come to me and tell me that he favours the South African scheme, I will see what I can do for you at the War Office."

Two hours later Mr Balfour arrived at the Mote, and was met at the door by Lord Leuchars, who had been on the look-out for him.

"Come into my study for a few minutes, will you, Mr Balfour?" and his lordship led the way and motioned his visitor to a seat. "Now," he continued, "I am going to ask a favour of you. I have a young friend staying in my house who is anxious to take the advice which you gave us in your very excellent sermon this morning. In fact, he wishes to consult you on a matter of conscience. certain reasons why I decline to advise him myself, but I am quite prepared to assist him to carry out any suggestion you may offer. I will ask you to advise him as I would ask you to advise my own son, Mr Balfour. precious to us."

There are

He is very

The depth of feeling displayed by Bertie during the course of a half-hour's conversation, his evident dejection and contrition, the anxiety displayed to take on to his own shoulders

Y

the whole burden of punishment as well as of guilt, to excuse the girl of any share in the past error, to shield her from the possibility of any complication in the future, the chivalrous devotion to the friend whom he had wronged, made a strong impression upon the Rector. So far from judging the young man as severely as he had judged himself, Mr Balfour found himself tempted not merely to condone the original offence, but to wonder whether it might not be possible to approach the young lady's recognised lover with a view to rearranging matters on a more satisfactory basis. There was something, he argued to himself, so peculiarly attractive about the young man, who had brought his difficulties to him, that it was next door to an impossibility for the girl, however honest her intentions, to go back to the old lover exactly as if nothing had happened. And if the friend was a man of the type that Bertie had described him to be, surely then he would be the last man in the world, who, if his eyes were opened, would exact the sacrifice that these two young creatures were ready to make the last man in the world who deserved to receive in all innocence as complete what could only be a half-hearted offering of trust and affection.

"The danger, Mr Treherne," he said gravely, "is that the last error may be worse than the first-that the young lady, having once begun to institute comparisons, may

"Comparisons between myself and Tom M'Gregor, Mr Balfour! Oh!" and having said so much Bertie stopped short, colouring painfully. No names had hitherto been mentioned, and now his tongue had for the second time run riot and betrayed a jealously guarded secret.

"Let it be as if it had not been said, Mr Treherne," said the Rector, pitying his distress; "I quite appreciate your feelings. Now you will promise me one thing, and that is this. If I say to you, Carry out your resolve and go to Africa, will you, can you go in the proper spirit, soberly and earnestly resolved to do your duty like the gallant young soldier that I feel that you are, taking all reasonable pre

caution, and never recklessly exposing a life which you know to be precious in the eyes of many; giving your services to your country as is her due, yet not with the thought that your country has the only claim upon you? How could I ever reconcile it to my conscience, Mr Treherne, if I felt that I had sent you to your grave? Now think a minute before you give me that promise."

"I promise, and thank you," said Bertie after a short pause, holding out his hand.

"Then go in peace, my dear boy, and come again in peace. And remember that others as well as myself will be often thinking of you and praying for you."

340

CHAPTER XXVII.

IN THE RECTORY GARDEN.

DICK LODER'S marriage had been finally fixed to take place in the last week of October. There had been certain reasons in favour of the slight delay. In the first place, Mr Balfour, having arranged his holiday for August, had naturally wished to have May with him; and then, as the young lady was to arrive at the age of twenty-one in the latter end of September, it had been agreed upon between the two high contracting parties that she should enjoy one month of what Laurence Ferrier was pleased to call complete emancipation.

"Quite right that she should have a mind of her own for a month," said the lawyer, laughing; "it is a pity to be a chattel all one's life. You have been an infant, that is your father's chattel, up to date, my dear, and you will be Dick's chattel from the day that you are married."

"I shall be Dick's wife, of course."

"But me no buts. A wife is a chattel if she knows her proper place. Ask Gertie."

No one objected to this arrangement, not even Dick himself. The Rector, he felt, had been very kind to him, and, since the day on which he had given his assent to the marriage, had raised no difficulties of any kind soever. Dick therefore was anxious to be equally considerate to the Rector, and after all, if marriage was a great thing to look forward to, the engage