I was a member, at that time, of the select committee; and I mention the Society here, because my precious and admirable friend, Mr.Godfrey Ablewhite, was associated with our work of moral and material usefulness.

I had expected to see him in the boardroom, on the Monday evening of which I am now writing, and had proposed to tell him, when we met, of dear Aunt Verinder's arrival in London.

To my great disappointment he never appeared.

On my expressing a feeling of surprise at his absence, my sisters of the Committee all looked up together from their trousers (we had a great pressure of business that night), and asked in amazement, if I had not heard the news.

I acknowledged my ignorance, and was then told, for the first time, of an event which forms, so to speak, the starting-point of this narrative.