"Yes," said Dick, with a faint smile, "leaving him the paper. He found it on his table. That is six years ago. He has never seen her since. He came home soon, feeling--I can't tell you how he felt." "As if life were not much worth living, according to the slang of the day." "Well, sir," said Dick, "he's a droll sort of a fellow. He--seemed to get over it somehow. It took a vast deal out of him, but yet he got over it in a kind of a way. He came back among his own people; and what have they been doing since ever he came back but imploring him to marry! It would settle him they all said, if he could get some nice girl: and they have done nothing but throw nice girls in his way--some of the nicest girls in England, I believe,--one----" "Good Lord!" said the old man, "you don't mean to say this unlucky young fellow has fallen in love again?" Dick shook his head with a rueful air, in which it was impossible not to see a touch of the comic, notwithstanding his despair. "This is precisely why he wants your opinion, that is, some one's opinion--for of course he has not the honour of knowing you." "Hasn't he? Ah! I began to think I remembered something about your Tom--or was it Dick--Wyld? Tom Wyld--I think I have heard the name." "If you should meet him in society," cried Dick, growing very red, "don't for heaven's sake make any allusion to this. I ought not to have mentioned his name." "Well, get on with the story," said the old man. "He thinks, perhaps, he is free to make love to the other girl and marry--because of that precious paper." "He is not such a fool as that: I, even," said Dick, faltering, "know law enough to warn him that would be folly. But you know, sir, in some of the wild States, like the one he lived in, divorce is the easiest thing in the world." "Well: and he thinks he can get a divorce? He had better do it then without more ado. I suppose the evidence--is sufficient?" Dick gave vent to a hoarse, nervous laugh. "Sufficient--for twenty divorces," he said, then he added quickly: "But that's not the question." "Why, what is the question then? He should be very thankful to be able to manage it so easily instead of being dragged through the mud for everybody to gloat over in London. What does the fellow want?" said the old man peevishly. "Many a man would be glad to find so easy a way." Dick's embarrassment was great, he changed colour, he could not keep still, his voice grew husky and broken. "I don't say that I agree with him, but this is what he thinks. It's easy enough: but he would have to summon her by the newspapers to answer for herself, which she wouldn't do. And who can tell what hands that newspaper might fall into? He says that nobody knows anything about it here; no one has the slightest suspicion that he ever was married or had any entanglement. And she, poor soul, to do her justice, would never put forth a claim. She never would molest him, of that he is sure. He thinks----"