good of your one volume?' He flung it down and strode to the bed,
and rang the bell. Then suddenly recollecting himself, he paused
and listened. There came a tap on the door. 'Is that you,
Sheila?' he called, doubtfully.

'No, sir, it's me,' came the answer.

'Oh, don't trouble; I only wanted to speak to your mistress. It's
all right.'

'Mrs. Lawford has gone out, sir,' replied the voice.

'Gone out?'

'Yes, sir; she told me not to mention it; but I suppose as you
asked--'

'Oh, that's all right; never mind; I didn't ring.' He stood with
face uplifted, thinking.

'Can I do anything, sir?' came the faint, nervous question after
a long pause.

'One moment, Ada,' he called in a loud voice. He took out his
pocket-book, sat down, and scribbled a little note. He hardly
noticed how changed his handwriting was--the clear round letters
crabbed and irregular.

'Are you there, Ada?' he called. 'I am slipping a note beneath
the door; just draw back the mat; that's it. Take it at once,