lodge to report.

"Is he safe? Did he get away? Where is he?" Adeline shrieked at him
before he could get a word out.

"He's all right, Miss Northwick," Elbridge answered soothingly. "He's on
his way back to Canady, again."

"Then I've driven him away!" she lamented. "I've hunted him out of his
home, and I shall never see him any more. Send for him! _Send_ for him!
Bring him _back_, I tell you! Go right straight after him, and tell him
I said to come back! What are you standing there for?"

She fell fainting. Elbridge helped Suzette carry her upstairs to her
bed, and then ran to get his wife, to stay with them while he went for
the doctor.

Matt Hilary had been spending the night at the rectory with Wade, and he
walked out to take leave of Suzette once more before he went home. He
found the doctor just driving away. "Miss Northwick seems not so well,"
said the doctor. "I'm very glad you happen to be here, on all accounts.
I shall come again later in the day."

Matt turned from the shadow of mystery the doctor's manner left, and
knocked at the door. It was opened by Suzette almost before he touched
it.

"Come in," she said, in a low voice, whose quality fended him from her
almost as much as the conditional look she gave him. The excited babble
of the sick woman overhead, mixed with Mrs. Newton's nasal attempts to
quiet her, broke in upon their talk.

"Mr. Hilary," said Suzette, formally, "are you willing my father should
come back, no matter what happens?"

"If he wishes to come back. You know what I have always said."

"And you would not care if they put him in prison?"

"I should care very much."

"You would be ashamed of me!"

"No! Never! What has it to do with you?"

"Then," she pursued, "he has come back. He has been here." She flashed
all the fact upon him in vivid, rapid phrases, and he listened with an
intelligent silence that stayed and comforted her as no words could have
done. Before she had finished, his arms were round her, and she felt how
inalienably faithful he was. "And now Adeline is raving to have him come
back again, and stay. She thinks she drove him away; she will die if
something can't be done. She says she would not let him stay
because--because you would be ashamed of us. She says I would be
ashamed--"

"Suzette! Sue!" Adeline called down from the chamber above, "don't you
let Mr. Hilary go before I get there. I want to speak to him," and while
they stared helplessly at each