It was strange to himself, but Mr Gibbs, as he looked at the two women, and waa fully conscious on which side lay the right in the matter, could not help feel ing an inexplicable thrill of sympathy with Castalia as she stood breathing quickly and hard, with dilated nostrils and suffer ing, tearless eyes. For the first timo in his life Obadiah Gibbs felt disposed to spars and, screen the postmaster's wife. " I'll give ihe message when Mr Erring fcon eonw }?<«&," jj P $ 0 Rhoda,

almost hustling her out of the office as he spoke. " The poor thing is not very well," he added, in a lower voice. " You mustn't think anything of her manner, nor bear malice, Miss Maxfbld. Good morning." When Rhoda was gone — feeling almost dizzy with surprise and fright — Gibbs followed Mrs Erringfcon into the inner office. He found her oponly examining the contents of the table-drawer, having tossed all the papers she had found in il pell-mell on to the table. Gibbs entered and closed the door carefully. " Mra Errington," he began, intending to re monstrate with her — or, perhaps, utter something stronger than a remonstrance — on her manner of conducting herself in the office, when she interrupted him at once, looking up from the heap of papers. " What message did that creature give you for my husband ?" she asked abruptly. " Now, Mrs Erringten, you really must not go on in this way ! I'm responsible to Mr Erringfcon, you know, for things being right here." " Did you hear mo ? What message did that creature give you I" "Oh now, really, Mrs Errington, I think you ought not to speak of Rhoda Maxfield in that way. She is a very good girl, and you hurt her terribly by your manner." Castalia smiled bitterly. "Did I?" she said. "Of course you're in league with her. Why does this good young woman come here in secret to see my husband 1 What can she want to say to him that cannot be said openly ?" ' ' I cannot hear such things, ma'am ; I cannot, indeed. If you would give your self an instant for reflection, you would remember that Mi3s Maxfield offered to tell her message to you yourself. 