'You're likely to hear a good deal more about it, I'm afraid,' said Mark. 'It has only just come out that it was his, and unopened--you will find it awkward to contradict.' Caffyn was silent for a time. Dolly must have spoken again. What a fool he had been to trust a child a second time!--and yet he had had no choice. 'Well,' he said at last, 'and what are _you_ going to do about it?' Mark's throat grew huskier. It was odd, for there was really no reason for being afraid of the man. 'Well, I--in short, I may as well tell you plainly, my wife thinks it is better we should not see any more of you in future.' There was a dangerous look in Caffyn's eye which Mark did not at all like. 'Ah, well, of course you mean to talk her out of that?' he said lightly. Was there a concealed menace in his tone? If so, Mark thought, he probably considered that his services connected with Vincent's sudden return gave him a claim. Well, he must disabuse him of that idea at once. 'It would be of no use if I tried to talk her out of it; but, to be quite candid, I--I don't intend to do anything of the kind.... I know we've been friends and all that sort of thing, and till I knew this I always said what I could for you; but--but this suppressing a letter is very different. I can't feel the same myself for you after that, it is better to tell you so distinctly. And then--there is poor little Dolly--she is my sister now--it seems you have been frightening her a second time.' 'On whose account--eh, Ashburn?' asked Caffyn. Mark had expected this. 'I'm sorry to say on mine,' he replied; 'but if I had known, do you suppose that for one moment---- I don't deny that, as I told you at the time, I was glad to see Holroyd leave town just then; but it was--was not so important as all that! Still you did me a service, and I'm sorry to have to do this, but I can't help myself. You will find others harder on you than I am!' 'Does that mean that Mrs. Langton has been told this precious story with all the latest improvements?' asked Caffyn. 'Not yet,' said Mark, 'but she must know before long.' 'And as for yourself, you consider me such an utterly irreclaimable blackguard that you can't afford to be seen with me any longer?' pursued Caffyn. 'My dear fellow,' protested Mark, 'I don't want to judge you. But, as far as the conclusion goes, I'm afraid it comes to that!' 'Perhaps, it has not quite come to that yet,' said Caffyn, as he drew his chair closer to Mark's, and, resting one arm on the back, looked him full in the face with searching intensity. 'Are you sure you have the right to be so very exclusive?'