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"Would Dr Lavendar let you have him, if--he knew?"

"But that's over; that's finished," she insisted "oh, I tell you,

it's over!"

The doctor's silence was like a whip

"Oh, I know; you think that he was here last week But there has to be

a beginning of everything--that was the beginning I told hiive David up to o into that," the doctor said "That's not my business

David is my business Mrs Richie, I want you quietly, without any

explanation, to give the boy back to Dr, Lavendar If you don't, I

shall have no choice I shall have to tell him"

"But you said you wouldn't tell him! Oh, you break your word--"

"I won't tell hi "I will never do

that But I'll tell him my own--some of them I'll say I made a

mistake when I advised hiht to be trusted to bring up a little boy But I won't

say why"

"Dr King, if I tell him just what you've said; that you think you

made a mistake, and you think I am not to be trusted;--if I tell him

myself, and he consents to let me keep him, will you interfere?"

William reflected heavily "He won't consent," he said; "he'll know I