The little opening was to his right, with the white hand visible on the ledge; but Dick hardly saw it, for, as he entered, Gertrude ran to his arms, to fall sobbing on his neck, while John Huish came forward offering his hand. "Then it was you, John Huish, after all?" Dick exclaimed angrily, as he placed his own hand behind his back. "Yes, it was I. What else could I do, forbidden as I was to come to the house? Come, my dear Dick, don't be hard upon me now." "But," exclaimed Dick in a puzzled way, "how was all this managed?" "Shall we let that rest?" said Huish, smiling. "Neither Gertrude nor I are very proud of our subterfuges. But come, we are brothers now. We can count upon you, can we not, to make friends with her ladyship." "I--don't know," said Dick quietly, for his mind was busy with the thoughts of the awkward reports he had heard concerning Huish and his position at various clubs, and he asked himself whether he should be the friend and advocate of a man who was declared to be little better than a blackleg. "Surely I can count upon you," said Huish, after a pause. "Suppose we step down into the dining-room," said Dick stiffly; but he gave his sister an encouraging smile as she caught his hand. "Dick," she whispered, "what does this mean?" "Only a little clearing up between John Huish and me, dear," he said. "After that, I dare say I shall be able to tell you I'm glad you're his wife." Gertrude smiled, and Huish followed down to the dining-room, which, lit by one candle, looked like a vault. Arrived here, though, Dick turned sharply upon his brother-in-law. "Now, look here, John Huish," he said, "I won't quarrel about the past and this clandestine match, for perhaps, if I had been situated as you were, I should have done the same; but there is something I want cleared up." "Let us clear it up at once then," said Huish, smiling. "What is it?" "Well, there are some sinister reports about you--you see, I speak plainly." "Yes, of course. Go on." "Well, they say commonly that you have been playing out of the square at the clubs; that you've been expelled from two, and that your conduct has been little better than that of a blackleg. John Huish, as a gentleman and my brother-in-law, how much of this is true? Stop a moment," he added hastily. "I know, old man, what it is myself to be pinched for money, and how a fellow might be tempted to do anything shady to get some together to keep up appearances. If there has been anything queer it must be forgiven; but you must give me your word as a man that for the future all shall be right." "My dear Dick," cried Huish, "I give you my word that all in the future shall be square, as you term it; and I tell you this, that if any man had spoken such falsehoods about my wife's brother, I should have knocked him down. There isn't a word of truth in these reports, though I must confess they have worried me a great deal. Now, will you shake hands?"