Page:An Unfinished Song.djvu/55

50 I never would have thought that I would learn to realise all this in my own life."

Then he turned towards me with eyes filled with sorrow and softly whispered:—

Must I speak more plainly still?

He was interrupted by my brother-in-law, who entered the room just then in a gay mood.

"Hallo," he ejaculated, "how long have you been here? Just winding up the game? Final proposal in poetry, it seems. Hurrah, let me congratulate you."

Mr. Roy was somewhat abashed at this unexpected intrusion, but in a minute he was master of the situation.

"You are very late in returning this evening," he said calmly. "We were whiling away the time as best we could. By the by, did you win that murder-case of yours? Did you get that poor fellow off?"

To an advocate no subject is so welcome as a talk about his cases, and my brother-in-law forgot everything else at this question. The two discussed the case.