of regret and concern, and he spoke very kindly and
very sensibly of this poor old woman. He said he
knew her -- that she was a friend of his wife's, and he
asked me if he could be of any assistance to her."

Thinking he saw a trace of hesitation on the London
official's face, he added, "After all, such an interview
could do no harm, and might do good. Yes, I strongly
do advise that we take Alfred Head into our counsels,
and explain to him exactly what it is we wish to
know."

"I am quite sure," exclaimed Mrs. Guthrie impulsively,
"that Anna would not tell him any more than
she told me. I am convinced, not only that she told
me the truth, but that she told me nothing but the
truth -- I don't believe she kept _anything_ back!"

Mr. Reynolds looked straight at the speaker of these
impetuous words. He smiled. It was a kindly, albeit
a satiric smile. He was getting quite fond of Mrs.
Guthrie! And though his duties often brought him
in contact with strange and unusual little groups of
people, this was the first time he had ever had to bring
into his official work a bride on her wedding day.
This was the first time also that a dean had ever been
mixed up in any of the difficult and dangerous affairs
with which he was now concerned. It was, too, the
first time that he had been brought into personal contact
with one of his own countrymen "broken in the
war."

"I hope that you are right," he said soothingly.
"Still, as Mr. Dean kindly suggests, it may be worth
while allowing this man -- Head is his name, is it? --
to see the woman. It generally happens that a person of
the class to which Anna Bauer belongs will talk much

[[338]]

p337 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p338w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p339

v?