"And he picked her up off the roads on his own estate. Wasn't she
trespassing, or something?"

Jack nodded again.

"Yes," he said, "and he was a magistrate and ought to have committed
her: And he married her instead. She was a girl, traveling with her
parents."

Frank sat smiling genially.

"That's it," he said. "Then I'm bound to make a success of it."

And he took another cigarette.

Then one more thought came to Jack: he had determined already to make
use of it if necessary, and somehow this seemed to be the moment.

"And Jenny Launton," he said "I suppose you've thought of her?"

A curious look came into Frank's eyes--a look of great gravity and
tenderness--and the humor died out. He said nothing for an instant. Then
he drew out of his breast-pocket a letter in an envelope, and tossed it
gently over to Jack.

"I'm telling her in that," he said. "I'm going to post it to-night,
after I've seen the Dean."

Jack glanced down at it.