Matters happen strangely quite as frequently as they go on in the regular groove of routine, and hence it happened, one morning at breakfast, that is to say, on the morning after the tragedy at the convict prison, that Sir Mark put on his gold spectacles as soon as he had finished his eggs and bacon and one cup of coffee, and, taking the freshly aired paper, opened it with a good deal of rustling noise, and coughed. Edie looked across at her cousin with a mischievous smile, but Myra was gazing thoughtfully before her, and the glance missed its mark. "Hum! ha!" growled Sir Mark. "`London, South, and Channel. Same as number three.' Confound number three! Who wants to refer to that? Oh, here we are: `Light winds, shifting to east. Fine generally.' Climate's improving, girls. More coffee, Myra. Pass my cup, Edie, dear." He skimmed over the summary, and then turned to the police cases, found nothing particular, and went on to the sessions, stopping to refresh himself from time to time, while Edie wondered what her cousin's thoughts might be. "Dear me!" exclaimed the admiral suddenly; "how singular! I must read you this, girls. Here's another forgery of foreign banknotes." The click of Myra's teacup as she suddenly set it down made the admiral drop the paper and read in his child's blank face the terrible slip he had made. "O Myra, my darling!" he cried apologetically; "I am so sorry;" and he turned to Edie, who looked daggers. "It is nothing, papa," said Myra coldly, as she tried hard to master her emotion. "But it is something, my dear. I wouldn't have said a word only I caught sight of Percy Guest's name as junior for the defence." It was Edie's turn now to look startled, and Sir Mark hurriedly fixed upon her to become the scapegoat for his awkward allusion, and divert Myra's attention. "Can't congratulate the prisoner upon his counsel," he said. "The man's too young and inexperienced. Only the other day a mere student. It's like putting a midshipman as second in command of an ironclad." Edie's eyes now seemed to dart flames, and she looked up boldly at her uncle. "Oh, yes," he said, "I mean it. Very nice fellow, Percy Guest, in a social way, but I should be sorry to trust an important case with him. Here, I'll read it, and see what it's all about. No; never mind, I know you girls don't care about law." The morning meal had been commenced cheerfully. There was sunshine without and at the table, Edie had thought how bright and well her cousin looked, and augured pleasant times of the future. "If she could only feel herself free," was her constant thought when Myra gave way to some fit of despondency.