ers of honest admiration, a
few of vile jest. She began to speak.

'I have come here because my husband cannot come. It is most unfortunate
that he cannot, for he tells me that someone has been throwing doubt
upon his honesty. He would be here, but that a terrible misfortune has
befallen him. His sister was lying ill in our house. A little more than
an hour ago she was by chance left alone and, being delirious--out of
her mind--escaped from the house. My husband is now searching for her
everywhere; she may be dying somewhere in the streets. That is the
explanation I have come to give you. But I will say a word more. I do
not know who has spoken ill of my husband; I do not know his reasons for
doing so. This, however, I know, that Richard Mutimer has done you no
wrong, and that he is incapable of the horrible thing of which he is
accused. You must believe it; you wrong yourselves if you refuse to.
To-morrow, no doubt, he will come and speak for himself. Till then I beg
you to take the worthy part and credit good rather than evil.'

She ceased, and, turning to the committee-man, who still stood near her,
requested him to guide her from the room. As she moved down from the
platform the crowd recovered itself from the spell of her voice. The
majority cheered, but there were not a few dissentient howls. Adela had
ears for nothing; a path opened before her, and she walked along it with
bowed head. Her heart was now beating violently; she felt that she must
walk quickly or perchance her strength would fail her before she reached
the door. As she disappeared there again arose the mingled uproar of
cheers and groans; it came to her like the bellow of a pursuing monster
as she fled along the passage. And in truth Demos was on her track.
A few kept up with her; the rest jammed themselves in the door way,
hustled each other, fought. The dozen who came out to the pavement
altogether helped her into the cab, then gave a hearty cheer as she
drove away.

The voice of Demos, not malevolent at the last, but to Adela none the
less something to be fled from, something which excited thoughts of
horrible possibilities, in its very good-humour and its praise of her a
sound of fear.

CHAPTER XXXV

His search being vain, Mutimer hastened from one police-station to
another, leaving descriptions of his sister at each. When he came
home again Adela had just arrived. She was suffering too much from the
reaction which followed upon her