"Whist, my dear bairn," said Jean, who was nigh upon tears herself. "Whist! I think we will be guided," she said, reverently, and she sat silent for a few minutes. "I doubt we will have to speak to the police," she added, as that brilliant idea came to console her. Grace wrote a letter to Mrs. Dorriman that night, in which she told her all she knew, all she feared, for the first time; she expressed her gratitude for all the kindness she had received; for the first time she acknowledged that she was to blame, and she asked to express something of her feeling to Mr. Sandford. This done she felt more happy than she had done lately, and rose next day trusting that in some way her sister's freedom would be brought about. Mr. Lyons called early, and was delighted to receive her confidence. Might he go and call? Surely there could be no harm, he asked, anxiously; it might save time. "It would only make matters worse for my sister," Grace said, "and you would do no good." "But it will show that she--that your sister--has friends near her." "That very fact might rouse him to more violence, and my sister would suffer." "I might go and call on _him_. I do not believe he would be violent if I asked for him. I am afraid he knows me, otherwise I might take some circulars and call upon him about business." "As if you know anything about business." "I assure you I have been very hard at work lately. I have gone into the question of employment very seriously." "I doubt your having done anything seriously," laughed Grace. "That is rather hard on a fellow, when a fellow has really tried." "Come, Mr. Lyons, what have you tried?" "I have offered myself as an agent to begin with. Agency is a very good thing. You spend no money yourself, and other people's money sticks to your fingers; it is really a very simple thing." "And what are you agent for, may I ask?" "Oh! the appointment is not confirmed, but I think I am on the high road to it. It does not much matter what it is as long as you can get people to buy. I have at this moment two things before me, of which I have really a very fair chance." "Have you?" "Are you sufficiently interested, Miss Rivers, to hear what they are?" "I am doing my best to show my interest by listening to you with both my ears." "Ah! but you are _not_ giving me your undivided attention. You are knitting, and just now I quite distinctly heard you count five. A fellow cannot talk of his prospects to a girl while she counts five," Mr. Lyons said, in a tone of disgust, and looking round the room appealing to an imaginary audience. "I will not count again--only just this once. I have made a mistake already;" and Grace wrinkled her forehead and became absorbed in her work for a few moments. "Miss Rivers, will you really let a fellow talk to you? life and death does not hang upon a few stitches more or less." "No, but a sock does; and dear Mrs. Dorriman took such pains to teach me to make one."