There was silence for a moment. Mr. Rayner had hurriedly withdrawn his hand from his wife's and seemed pondering. "Yes, you're right, Hester! That woman is one of my clients. I'd better see what the creature wants, though it's past business hours." "Poor soul, perhaps she expected to find you at the High Court. It's late for her to have travelled so far out. It's good of you, Alfred, to have pity on her old legs," said Hester, as her husband ordered the landau to pull up. He got out hurriedly without another word and went back to where the old woman stood with statuesque pose. "How kind-hearted Alfred is to be sure!" thought his wife. "Many a young barrister wouldn't have allowed himself to be bothered like this after hours." "Just drive on, Hester," Rayner called back. "I can walk home, it's just a step!" She expostulated, saying she would wait. "Not at all! The walk will do me good. You'll have time to have a little rest before dressing for dinner. Drive on," he called to the coachman, and advanced to meet the waiting woman, whom he accosted with an angry frown. "Now, Mrs. Baltus, what game is this you're up to, dogging my footsteps so that I can't have peace to drive home of an evening with my wife?" "Your wife, forsooth! 'Tis my girl that should have been thatt if you weren't the false snake you be," retorted the woman, the moonlight revealing her wrinkled face, distorted by passion. "Look here, Mrs. Baltus, I'm not going to stand any more of your vile accusations. Let me tell you, you have not an atom of proof that I ever meant to marry your daughter. And what's more, I've been a fool ever to let you see the colour of my money; and, my word, you've seen the last of my charity, for that's what it's been pure and simple! I'll stand no blackmailing from you or anybody else," said Mr. Rayner in a bullying tone, as he folded his arms with a resolute air. "No proof, do you say, Alfred Rayner?" cried the woman shrilly. "We'll see about that! There are more la'yers in Madras besides you! Didn't you come billin' and cooin' with my poor girl many an evening, and was glad to eat my prawn curry, and----" "Oh, that prawn curry! Shall I never hear the end of it? Anyhow I've paid for it fifty times over! Did you ever for a moment dream I would wed a half-caste like your daughter? And again I ask you how you dare come crawling to my compound? Why are you here to-night?" "I'll just tell you why! In another five minutes I mean to be in your verandah, and may be further in, a-talkin' to your fine English missus and tellin' her what sort o' a blackguard she's gotten for a husband," said Mrs. Baltus, with a defiant air. "So it's spite and revenge that's brought you tramping all the way from Vepery?"