'My dear mother'--Hilda drove to Pembridge Square directly after breakfast--'I have had a most curious letter from Elsie. What does it mean? She orders--she does not invite--she positively orders--Sir Samuel--actually orders Sir Samuel!--and myself to attend at Mr. Dering's office at four. We are ordered to assist, she says, at the demolition of the structure we have so carefully erected.--What structure? What does she mean? Here is the letter.' 'I too, dear, have had a letter from her. She says that at four o'clock this afternoon all the wrongful and injurious suspicions will be cleared away, and that if I value the affection of my son and herself--the affection of herself--I must be present.--Hilda, what does this mean? I am very much troubled about the letter. On Saturday, she came here and informed me that the wedding would be held on Wednesday just as if nothing had happened; and she foretold that we should all be present, and that Athelstan would give her away--Athelstan. It is a very disquieting letter, because, my dear, do you think we could all of us--could we possibly be wrong, have been wrong from the very beginning--in Athelstan's case? Could Sir Samuel be wrong in George's case?' 'My dear mother, it is impossible. The case, unhappily, is too clear to admit of any doubt. Sir Samuel, with his long experience, could not be wrong.' 'Then, Hilda dear, what can Elsie mean?' 'We have been talking about it all through breakfast. The only conclusion we can come to is, that there is going to be a smothering up of the whole business. Mr. Dering, who has been terribly put out with the case, must have consented to smother up the matter. We think that the papers have been returned with the money received on dividends and coupons; and that Mr. Dering has agreed to take no further proceedings. Now, if he would do that, Athelstan of course would come under a kind of Act of Indemnity; and as the notes were never used by him, but were returned to their owner, it becomes as easy to recognise his innocence as that of the other man.--Do you see?' 'Yes. But that will not make them innocent.' 'Certainly not. But it makes all the difference in the world. Oh! there are families everywhere who have had to smother up things in order to escape a scandal. Well, I hope you will agree with us, and accept the invitation.' 'I suppose I must.--But how about removing all the suspicions?'