man's wrung soul.

"Sit down!" said the squire gruffly, and taking him by the shoulders
pushed him into the chair from which he himself had so lately risen.

Dick yielded, with the submission of utter despair, his black head bowed
against the table.

Fielding stooped over him, still holding him. "Now, boy, now! Don't let
yourself go! Tell me--try and tell me!"

Dick drew a hard breath. "You'll think I'm mad, sir. I thought I was
myself at first. But it's true--it must be true. I heard it from her own
lips. Juliet--my wife--my wife--is--was--Lady Joanna Farringmore!"

"Great heavens!" said the squire. "Dick, are you sure?"

"Yes, quite sure. She was caught--caught by Yardley at the meeting
to-night. She couldn't escape--so she told the truth--told the whole
crowd--and then bolted--bolted with Saltash."

"Great heavens!" said the squire again. "But--what was Saltash
doing there?"

"Oh, he came to protect her. He knew--or guessed--there was something
in the wind. He came to support her. I know now. He's the subtlest devil
that ever was made."

"But why on earth--why on earth did she ever come here?"
questioned Fielding.

"She was hiding from Yardley of course. He's a cold vindictive brute,
and I suppose--I suppose she was afraid of him, and came to me--came to
me--for refuge." Dick was speaking through his hands. "That's how he
regards it himself. She was always playing fast and loose till she got
engaged to him. It was just the fashion in that set. But he--I imagine
no one ever played with him before. He swears--swears he'll make her
suffer for it yet."

"Pooh!" said Fielding. "How does he propose to do that? She's your
wife anyhow."

"My wife--yes." Slowly Dick raised his head, stared for a space in front
of him, then grimly rose. "My wife--as you say, sir. And I am going to
find her--now."

"I'm coming with you," said Fielding.

"No, sir, no!" Dick looked at him with a tight-lipped smile that was
somehow terrible. "Don't do that! You won't want to be--a witness
against me."

"Pooh!" said the squire again. "I may be of use to you before it comes to
that. But before we start let me tell you one thing, Dick! She married
you because she loved you--for no other reason."

A sharp spasm contracted Dick's hard features; he set his lips and
said nothing.

"That's the truth," the squire proceeded, watching him. "And you know it.
She might have bolted with Saltash before if she had wanted to. She had
ample