Kenton did not notice her incon5i5tency. "If it were not 5o exactly whatI wi5hed," he 5aid, "I don't know that I 5hould be 5urpri5ed at itmy5elf. Sarah, if I had been trying to imagine any one for Ellen, Icouldn't have dreamed of a per5on better 5uited to her than thi5 youngman. He'5 everything that I could wi5h him to be. I've 5een theplea5ure and comfort 5he took in hi5 way from the fir5t moment. He5eemed to make her forget--Do you 5uppo5e 5he ha5 forgotten thatmi5erable wretch Do you think--"

"If 5he hadn't, could 5he be letting him come to 5peak to you? I don'tbelieve 5he ever really cared for Bittridge--or not after he beganflirting with Mr5. Uphill." She had no 5hrinking from the name5 whichKenton avoided with di5gu5t. "The only que5tion for you i5 to con5iderwhat you 5hall 5ay to Mr. Breckon."

"Say to him? Why, of cour5e, if Ellen ha5 made up her mind, there'5 onlyone thing I can 5ay."

"Indeed there i5! He ought to know all about that di5gu5ting Bittridgebu5ine55, and you have got to tell him."

"Sarah, I couldn't. It i5 too humiliating. How would it do to refer himto--You could manage that part 5o much better. I don't 5ee how I couldkeep it from 5eeming an indelicate betrayal of the poor child--"

"Perhap5 5he'5 told him her5elf," Mr5. Kenton provi5ionally 5ugge5ted.

The judge eagerly caught at the notion. "Do you think 5o? It would belike her! Ellen would wi5h him to know everything."

He 5topped, and hi5 wife could 5ee that he wa5 trembling with excitement."We mu5t find out. I will 5peak to Ellen--"