impossible. Nor could it be said that Gorringe, in his new capacity as a
professing church-member, had disclosed any sign of ulterior motives,
or of insincerity. Yet there the facts were. While Theron pondered them,
their mystery, if they involved a mystery, baffled him altogether.
But when he had finished, he found himself all the same convinced that
neither Alice nor Gorringe would be free to blame him for anything
he might do. He had grounds for complaint against them. If he did not
himself know just what these grounds were, it was certain enough that
THEY knew. Very well, then, let them take the responsibility for what
happened.

It was indeed awkward that at the moment, as Theron chanced to emerge
temporarily from his brown-study, his eyes fell full upon the spare,
well-knit form of Levi Gorringe himself, standing only a few feet away,
in the staircase entrance to his law office. His lean face, browned by
the summer's exposure, had a more Arabian aspect than ever. His hands
were in his pockets, and he held an unlighted cigar between his teeth.
He looked the Rev. Mr. Ware over calmly, and nodded recognition.

Theron had halted instinctively. On the instant he would have given
a great deal not to have stopped at all. It was stupid of him to have
paused, but it would not do now to go on without words of some sort. He
moved over to the door-way, and made a half-hearted pretence of looking
at the photographs in one of the show-cases at its side. As Mr. Gorringe
did not take his hands from his pockets, there was no occasion for any
formal greeting.

"I had no idea that they took such good pictures in Octavius," Theron
remarked after a minute's silence, still bending in examination of the
photographs.