“You comfort me,” said Katherine, with indescribably sweet graceful humility.  “I thank you heartily, and will say good-by.”

“I will come and see you into a cab,” returned Errington, feeling himself anxious that no one should recognize her, and not knowing when their tete-a-tete might be interrupted.

They went out together, and walked a little way in silence.  “You will let me come and see you, to hear—­” began Errington, when Katherine interrupted him.

“Not just now.  I think we had better not seem to know anything of each other, or perhaps George Liddell may suspect you of being my friend.”

“I see.  But at least you will keep me informed of how things go on.  Remember how tormented I am with remorse for my hasty act.”

“You need not be.  But I will write.  There—­there is a cab.”

Errington hailed it, handed her in carefully, and they said good-by with a sudden sense of intimacy which months of ordinary communication would not have produced.

It was a very serious undertaking to break the intelligence to Miss Payne, and poor Katherine felt quite exhausted before her exclamations, questions, and wonderings were half over.

On one or two points Miss Payne at once made up her mind, nor had she ever quite altered her opinion:  This man representing himself as George Liddell was an impostor who had known the real “Simon Pure,” and got himself up accordingly as soon as he heard that the late John Liddell had died intestate; that Mr. Newton was a weak-minded, credulous idiot to acknowledge this impostor at first sight, if he were not a double-dealing traitor ready to play into the hands of the new claimant.  He ought to have thrown the onus of proof on him, instead of acknowledging his identity by that childish exclamation.  Don’t tell her that he was startled out of prudence and precaution.  A spirit from above or below would not have thrown her (Miss Payne) off her guard where property was concerned, and what was the use of men’s superior strength and courage if they could not hold their tongues in presence of an unexpected apparition?

She was, however, profoundly disturbed, and sent at once for her brother.

It was evening before he arrived in Wilton Street, having gone out before Miss Payne’s note reached him.  Like Errington, he was at first incredulous, and when he had gathered the facts of the case, absolutely overcome.  In fact, he showed more emotion than Errington, yet it did not impress Katherine so much as Errington’s deep, suppressed feeling.

“But what are you to do?” he said, raising his head, which he had bowed on his hand in a kind of despair.

“It is just the question I have been asking myself,” said Katherine, quietly.  “For even if dear old Mr. Newton succeeds in softening George Liddell, and he forgives me the outlay of what was certainly his money, the little that belongs to myself I shall want for my nephews.”