Doreen  leant  back  in  the  hansom,  utterly  spent  with  the
excitement  and  fatigue,  and  sick  with  anxiety,  as  she
thought  of  the  trouble  that  threatened  to  shadow  her
lover's  career.  And  yet,  after  all,  was  it  not  much  that  she
herself  had  been  entrusted  with  the  power  to  save  him  ?
It  could  be  but  a  passing  trouble,  a  brief  annoyance ;  she
was  half  inclined  to  think  that  it  might  really  in  the  end
be  better  if  the  whole  truth  should  transpire.  Unpleasant
as  all  the  publicity  would  be,  neither  she  nor  Max  had  done
anything  to  be  ashamed  of;  and  as  for  Desmond,  it  was
little  likely  that  they  would  be  able  to  track  him.
"  How  late  you  are,"  said-  Michael,  opening  the  door  for
her,  when  she  arrived  in  Bernard  Street.  "  Mrs.  Muchmore
has  come  back,  and  from  her  account  she  seems  to  have  got
the  better  of  Madame  De  Berg.  At  any  rate,  Una  is  safe
in  Brian  Osmond's  hands,  which  is  some  comfort."

Doreen  was  relieved  to  find  that  the  boy  was  so  much  taken
up  with  Una's  story  that  he  asked  no  awkward  questions  as
to  the  reason  of  her  late  return ;  and  gradually  she,  too,
became  absorbed   in    thoughts    of   the   poor   little  infant


DOREEN  301

prodigy,  and  the  painful  recollection  of  her  talk  with  John
Desmond  faded  from  her  mind.  Early  the  next  morning
Brian  Osmond  called  to  see  her.  She  and  her  aunt  were
still  at  the  breakfast  table,  but  Mr.  Garth  and  Michael
had  already  set  out  for  their  day's  work,  and  the  children
had  dispersed  to  their  lessons.
