Gordon found himself dreading the explanation that would have to come when he reached New York and faced his wife’s mother and brother. Celia had accepted his explanations, because, somehow by the beautiful ways of the spirit, her soul had found and believed in his soul before the truth was made known to her, but would her mother and brother be able also to believe? And he fell to planning with Celia just how he should tell the story; and this led to his bringing out a number of letters and papers that would be worth while showing as credentials, and every step of the way, as Celia got glimpse after glimpse into his past, her face shone with joy and her heart leaped with the assurance that her lot had been cast in goodly places, for she perceived not only that this man was honored and respected in high places, but that his early life had been peculiarly pure and true. The strange loneliness that had surrounded his young manhood seemed suddenly to have broken ahead of him, and to have opened out into the glory of the companionship of one peculiarly fitted to fill the need of his life. Thus they looked into one another’s eyes reading their life-joy, and entered into the beautiful miracle of acquaintanceship. CHAPTER XVII The next morning quite early the ’phone called Gordon to the office. The chief’s secretary said the matter was urgent. He hurried away leaving Celia somewhat anxious lest their plans for going to New York that day could not be carried out, but she made up her mind not to fret even if the trip had to be put off a little, and solaced herself with a short visit with her mother over the telephone. Gordon entered his chief’s office a trifle anxiously, for he felt that in justice to his wife he ought to take her right back to New York and get matters there adjusted; but he feared that there would be business to hold him at home until the Holman matter was settled. The chief greeted him affably and bade him sit down. “I am sorry to have called you up so early,” he said, “but we needed you. The fact is, they’ve arrested Holman and five other men, and you are in immediate demand to identify them. Would it be asking too much of an already overworked man to send you back to New York to-day?” Gordon almost sprang from his seat in pleasure. “It just exactly fits in with my plans, or, rather, my wishes,” he said, smiling. “There are several matters of my own that I would like to attend to in New York and for which of course I did not have time.” He paused and looked at his chief, half hesitating, marvelling that the way had so miraculously opened for him to keep silence a little longer on the subject of his marriage. Perhaps the chief need never be told that the marriage ceremony took place on the day of the Holman dinner.