t
help trusting Robin Frost. Roy, he knew it before--at least, his wife
did; which amounts to something of the same; and she spoke of it to me.
I have ordered them to keep a close tongue, under pain of unheard-of
penalties--which I should never inflict; but it's as well to let poor
Fred's memory rest in quiet and good odour. I believe honestly it's the
only scrape of the sort he ever got into. He was cold and cautious."

"But how did you learn it?" reiterated Lionel.

"I'll tell you. I learned it from Luke Roy."

"From Luke Roy!" repeated Lionel, more at sea than before.

"Do you remember that I had sent Luke on to London a few days before
this happened? He was to get things forward for our voyage. He was
_fou_--as the French say--after Rachel; and what did he do but come back
again in secret, to get a last look at her, perhaps a word. It happened
to be this very night, and Luke was a partial witness to the scene at
the Willow Pond. He saw and heard her meeting with Frederick; heard
quite enough to know that there was no chance for him; and he was
stealing away, leaving Fred and Rachel at the termination of their
quarrel, when he met his mother. She knew him, it seems, and to that
encounter we are indebted for her display when before Mr. Verner, and
her lame account of the 'ghost.' You must recollect it. She got up the
ghost tale to excuse her own terror; to throw the scent off Luke. The
woman says her life, since, has been that of a martyr, ever fearing that
suspicion might fall upon her son. She recognised him beyond doubt; and
nearly died with the consternation. He glided off, never speaking to
her, but the fear and consternation remained. She recognised, too, she
says, the voice of Frederick as the one that was quarrelling; but she
did not dare confess it. For one thing, she knew not how far Luke might
be implicated."

Lionel leaned his brow on his hand, deep in thought. "How far was
Frederick implicated?" he asked in a low tone. "Did he--did he put her
into the pond?"

"No!" burst forth John Massingbird, with a vehemence that sent the ashes
of his pipe flying. "Fred would not be guilty of such a crime as that,
any more than you or I would. He had--he had made vows to the girl, and
broken them; and that was the extent of it. No such great sin, after
all, or it wouldn't be so fashionable a one," carelessly added John
Massingbird.

Lionel waited in silence.

"By what Luke could gather," went on John, "it app