"Bethune has been tackled," he said suddenly. "The Duke of ---- did it, and he has promised to marry her--if--if----" "If what?" "If his wife will divorce him. The Duke has got his promise in black and white." "I don't think Lady Francis will divorce him." "N-no. I've been with her to-day for an hour, but I couldn't move her. She doesn't seem to see that it's--life or death--for Elsa." "You would not expect her under the circumstances to consider Elsa." "Yes, I should," said the simpleton. "Why should not she help her? There are no children, and she does not care for Bethune. She never did. She ought to release him for the sake of--others." "I don't think she will." "I want you to persuade her, Mary." Mary's heart swelled. This then was what he had come about. "Aren't you her greatest friend? Do put it before her plainly. I'm a blundering idiot, and she seemed to think I had no right to speak to her on the subject. Perhaps I had not. I never thought of that. I only thought of----. But do you go to her, and bring her to a better mind." "I will try," said Mary. "I wish there were more women like you, Maimie," he said, using for the first time for years the pet name which he had called her by when they were boy and girl together. Mary went to Lady Francis next day, but she did not make a superhuman effort to persuade her friend. She considered that it was not desirable that Elsa should be reinstated. If there were no punishment for such misdemeanours, what would society come to? For the sake of others, as a warning, it was necessary that Elsa should suffer. All she said to Lady Francis was: "Are you going to divorce Lord Francis?" "No, my dear," said that lady with a harsh little laugh. "I am not. Not that I could not get a divorce. He has been quite brute enough, but if I did it would be forgotten in about a quarter of an hour, whether I had divorced him or he had divorced me. I have a right to his name, and I mean to stick to it. It's about all I've got out of my marriage. I don't intend to go about as a divorced woman under my maiden name of Huggins. The idea does not smile on me. Besides, I know Francis. He will come back to me. He did--before. He has not a shilling, and he is in debt. He can't get on without me. I was a goose to marry him; but still I am the goose that lays the golden eggs."