felt the one sad conclusion which those empty places persisted in
forcing on our minds. It was surely too plain that some terrible
report, affecting the character of the unhappy woman at the head
of the table, had unexpectedly come to light, and had at one blow
destroyed her position in the estimation of her husband's
friends. In the face of the excuses in the drawing-room, in the
face of the empty places at the dinner-table, what could the
friendliest guests do, to any good purpose, to help the husband
and wife in their sore and sudden need? They could say good-night
at the earliest possible opportunity, and mercifully leave the
married pair to themselves.

Let it at least be recorded to the credit of the three gentlemen,
designated in these pages as A, B, and C, that they were
sufficiently ashamed of themselves and their wives to be the
first members of the dinner party who left the house. In a few
minutes more we rose to follow their example. Mrs. Germaine
earnestly requested that we would delay our departure.

"Wait a few minutes," she whispered, with a glance at her
husband. "I have something to say to you before you go."

She left us, and, taking Mr. Germaine by the arm, led him away to
the opposite side of the room. The two held a little colloquy
together in low voices. The husband closed the consultation by
lifting the wife's hand to his lips.

"Do as you please, my love," he said to her. "I leave it entirely
to you."