The New Magdalen

Grace looked at him indignantly. "Proof!" she repeated. "Is my word not

enough?"

Julian kept his temper perfectly. "Pardon me," he rejoined, "you forget

that you and Lady Janet meet now for the first time. Try to put yourself

in my aunt's place. How is she to know that you are the late Colonel

Roseberry's daughter?"

Grace's head sunk on her breast; she dropped into the nearest chair. The

expression of her face changed instantly from anger to discouragement.

"Ah," she exclaimed, bitterly, "if I only had the letters that have been

stolen from me!"

"Letters," asked Julian, "introducing you to Lady Janet?"

"Yes." She turned suddenly to Lady Janet. "Let me tell you how I lost

them," she said, in the first tones of entreaty which had escaped her

yet.

Lady Janet hesitated. It was not in her generous nature to resist the

appeal that had just been made to her. The sympathies of Horace were far

less easily reached. He lightly launched a new shaft of satire--intended

for the private amusement of Lady Janet. "Another explanation!" he

exclaimed, with a look of comic resignation.

Julian overheard the words. His large lustrous eyes fixed themselves on

Horace with a look of unmeasured contempt.

"The least you can do," he said, sternly, "is not to irritate her. It

is so easy to irritate her!" He addressed himself again to Grace,

endeavoring to help her through her difficulty in a new way. "Never mind

explaining yourself for the moment," he said. "In the absence of your

letters, have you any one in London who can speak to your identity?"

Grace shook her head sadly. "I have no friends in London," she answered.

It was impossible for Lady Janet--who had never in her life heard of

anybody without friends in London--to pass this over without notice. "No

friends in London!" she repeated, turning to Horace.

Horace shot another shaft of light satire. "Of course not!" he rejoined.

Grace saw them comparing notes. "My friends are in Canada," she broke

out, impetuously. "Plenty of friends who could speak for me, if I could

only bring them here."

As a place of reference--mentioned in the capital city of

England--Canada, there is no denying it, is open to objection on the

ground of distance. Horace was ready with another shot. "Far enough off,

certainly," he said.

"Far enough off, as you say," Lady Janet agreed.

Once more Julian's inexhaustible kindness strove to obtain a hearing for

the stranger who had been confided to his care. "A little patience, Lady

Janet," he pleaded. "A little consideration, Horace, for a friendless

woman."

"Thank you, sir," said Grace. "It is very kind of you to try and help

me, but it is useless. They won't even listen to me." She attempted to

rise from her chair as she pronounced the last words. Julian gently laid

his hand on her shoulder and obliged her to resume her seat.