‘Mr. Tryan,’ said Mr. Jerome, who had entered during the dialogue, and had been standing by, listening with a distressed face, ’I shall take it as a favour if you’ll let me know if iver there’s anything I can do for Mrs. Dempster.  Eh, dear, what a world this is!  I think I see ’em fifteen year ago—­as happy a young couple as iver was; and now, what it’s all come to!  I was in a hurry, like, to punish Dempster for pessecutin’, but there was a stronger hand at work nor mine.’

’Yes, Mr. Jerome; but don’t let us rejoice in punishment, even when the hand of God alone inflicts it.  The best of us are but poor wretches just saved from shipwreck:  can we feel anything but awe and pity when we see a fellow-passenger swallowed by the waves?’

’Right, right, Mr. Tryan.  I’m over hot and hasty, that I am.  But I beg on you to tell Mrs. Dempster—­I mean, in course, when you’ve an opportunity—­tell her she’s a friend at the White House as she may send for any hour o’ the day.’

’Yes; I shall have an opportunity, I dare say, and I will remember your wish.  I think,’ continued Mr. Tryan, turning to Mr. Landor, ’I had better see Mr. Pilgrim on my way, and learn what is exactly the state of things by this time.  What do you think?’

’By all means:  if Mrs. Dempster is to know, there’s no one can break the news to her so well as you.  I’ll walk with you to Dempster’s door.  I dare say Pilgrim is there still.  Come, Mr. Jerome, you’ve got to go our way too, to fetch your horse.’

Mr. Pilgrim was in the passage giving some directions to his assistant, when, to his surprise, he saw Mr. Tryan enter.  They shook hands; for Mr. Pilgrim, never having joined the party of the Anti-Tryanites, had no ground for resisting the growing conviction, that the Evangelical curate was really a good fellow, though he was a fool for not taking better care of himself.

‘Why, I didn’t expect to see you in your old enemy’s quarters,’ he said to Mr. Tryan.  ’However, it will be a good while before poor Dempster shows any fight again.’

‘I came on Mrs. Dempster’s account,’ said Mr. Tryan.  ’She is staying at Mrs. Pettifer’s; she has had a great shock from some severe domestic trouble lately, and I think it will be wiser to defer telling her of this dreadful event for a short time.’

‘Why, what has been up, eh?’ said Mr. Pilgrim, whose curiosity was at once awakened.  ’She used to be no friend of yours.  Has there been some split between them?  It’s a new thing for her to turn round on him.’

’O, merely an exaggeration of scenes that must often have happened before.  But the question now is, whether you think there is any immediate danger of her husband’s death; for in that case, I think, from what I have observed of her feelings, she would be pained afterwards to have been kept in ignorance.’