Mr. Fraser was an extremely unsuspicious man, but somehow, as he
picked his way to the vicarage to eat his solitary chop, he felt a
doubt rising in his mind as to whether, his disclaimer notwithstanding,
Philip had not sincerely meant all he said.

"He is shockingly changed," he mused, "and I am not sure that it is a
change for the better. Poor fellow, he has a great deal to bear, and
should be kindly judged. It is all so painful that I must try to
divert my mind. Mrs. Brown, will you bring me a little chocolate-
coloured book, that you will see on the table in my study, when you
come back with the potatoes? It has Plato--P-l-a-t-o--printed on the
back."



CHAPTER XIV

The jubilation of George at the turn events had taken may perhaps be
more easily imagined than described. There is generally one weak point
about all artful schemes to keep other people out of their rights;
they break down over some unforeseen detail, or through the neglect of
some trivial and obvious precaution. But this was one of the glorious
instances to the contrary that prove the rule. Nothing had broken
down, everything had prospered as a holy cause always should, and does
--in theory. The stars in their courses had fought for Sisera,
everything had succeeded beyond expectation, nothing had failed. In
the gratitude of his heart, George would willingly have given a
thousand pounds towards the establishment of a training-school for
anonymous letter-writers, or the erection of a statue to Hilda