ft.

"What's that?" he stammered. "What's that--that black----?"

The devilry, mockery, admiration, bemusement, had gone out of his face;
it was white and calm, and horribly pathetic.

"Don't turn me out," he stammered; "don't turn me out!"

Mrs. Bellew looked at him hard; the defiance in her eyes changed to a
sort of pity. She took a quick step and put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right, old boy--all right!" she said. "There's nothing
there!"

CHAPTER IX

MR. PARAMOR DISPOSES

Mrs. Pendyce, who, in accordance with her husband's wish, still occupied
the same room as Mr. Pendyce, chose the ten minutes before he got up to
break to him Gregory's decision. The moment was auspicious, for he was
only half awake.

"Horace," she said, and her face looked young and anxious, "Grig says
that Helen Bellew ought not to go on in her present position. Of course,
I told him that you'd be annoyed, but Grig says that she can't go on like
this, that she simply must divorce Captain Bellew."

Mr. Pendyce was lying on his back.

"What's that?" he said.

Mrs. Pendyce went on

"I knew it would worry you; but really"--she fixed her eyes on the
ceiling--"I suppose we ought only to think of her."

The Squire sat up.

"What was that," he said, "about Bellew?"

Mrs. Pendyce went on in a languid voice and without moving her eyes:

"Don't be angrier than you can help, dear; it is so wearing. If Grig
says she ought to divorce Captain Bellew, then I'm sure she ought."

Horace Pendyce subsided on his pillow with a bounce, and he too lay with
his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Divorce him!" he said--"I should think so! He ought to be hanged, a
fellow like that. I told you last night he nearly drove over me. Living
just as he likes, setting an example of devilry to the whole
neighbourhood! If I hadn't kept my head he'd have bowled me over like a
ninepin, and Bee into the bargain."

Mrs. Pendyce sighed.

"It was a narrow escape," she said.

"Divorce him!" resumed Mr. Pendyce--"I should think so! She ought to
have divorced him long ago. It was the nearest thing in the world;
another foot and I should have been knocked off my feet!"

Mrs. Pendyce withdrew her glance from the ceiling.

"At first," she said, "I wondered whether it was quite--but I'm very glad
you've taken it like this."

"Taken it! I can tell you, Margery, that sort of thing makes one think.
All the time Barter was preaching last night