the old man, "as I thought. Goad help her! She's gone; she'll
never come ashore no more, she won't. She's twenty miles away by now,
she is, breast up, with the gulls a-screaming over her. It's that there
damned canoe, that's what it is. I wish to Goad I had broke it up long
ago. I'd rather have built her a boat for nothing, I would. Damn the
unlucky craft!" screamed the old man at the top of his voice, and
turning his head to hide the tears that were streaming down his rugged
face. "And her that I nursed and pulled out of the waters once all but
dead. Damn it, I say! There, take that, you Sea Witch, you!" and he
picked up a great boulder and crashed it through the bottom of the
canoe with all his strength. "You shan't never drown no more. But it has
brought you good luck, it has, sir; you'll be a fortunit man all your
life now. It has brought you the _Drowned One's shoe_."

"Don't break it any more," said Geoffrey. "She used to value it. You had
better bring it along between you--it may be wanted. I am going to the
Vicarage."

He walked back. Mr. Granger and Elizabeth had not yet arrived, but they
were expected every minute. He went into the sitting-room. It was full
of memories and tokens of Beatrice. There lay a novel which he had given
her, and there was yesterday's paper that she had brought from town, the
_Standard_, with his speech in it.

Geoffrey covered his eyes with his hand, and thought. None knew that she
had committed suicide except himself. If he revealed it things might be
said of her; he did not care what was said of him, but he was jealous of
her dead name. It might be said, for instance, that the whole tale
was true, and that Beatrice died because she could no longer face life
without being put to an open shame. Yes, he had better hold his tongue
as to how and why she died. She was dead--nothing could bring her back.
But how then should he account for his presence there? Easily enough.
He would say frankly that he came because Beatrice had written to him
of the charges made against her and the threats against himself--came
to find her dead. And on that point he would still have a word with Owen
Davies and Elizabeth.

Scarcely had he made up his mind when Elizabeth and her father entered.
Clearly from their faces they had as yet heard nothing.

Geoffrey rose, and Elizabeth caught sight of him standing with glowing
eyes and a face like that of Death himself. She recoiled in alarm.

"What brings yo