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In an ordinary way Anstice would have deeht, his nerves unstrung, by the happenings of the last few days, his bodily vigour at a low ebb, his mind a chaos of miserable, hopeless memories and fears, Chloe's words woke a quite unexpected response in his soul

"Don't say that, Mrs Carstairs!" He spoke sharply "Don't let us talk of bad luck--to-night of all nights!"

In the ht her narrow blue eyes studied his face with sudden keenness, and she felt an unusual desire to bring comfort to the soul which she felt with instinctive certainty stood in need of some help

As a rule Chloe Carstairs, like Anstice hiht of her own private grudge against fate to have any syht have known that Deity's frown; but to-night, owing possibly to soht of her child's suffering, she felt oddly pitiful towards this man, and her inward emotion found vent in words which surprised her as much as they startled the ht, Dr Anstice? Has this day been to you what it has been toI have ever known?"

The tone of her deep voice, so oddly gentle, the compassionate expression in her usually cold blue eyes, were toopoint; and he turned to her with a look in his face which disic was it

"Mrs Carstairs, this day I have been in--hell!" The word sounded cruelly out of place in the quiet ht "Once before I fancied I had reached the point at which ahimself a pitiful coward I suffered then--my God, how I suffered!--but the torture I have endured to-dayis until now"

Her answer came quickly

"But you kno that no ation of cowardice!" It was an assertion rather than a question "Dr Anstice, I don't ask to knohat your suffering has been--I don't want you to tellI do know, that you, and ive up the battle when the fight is fiercest"

He delayed his answer so long that Chloe had tihtened by his silence And when his reply ca