d Forster looked at Gilbert Fenton curiously for a moment, and
then took up an empty meerschaum that lay upon a little table near him,
and began to fill it with a thoughtful air. Gilbert had dropped into an
arm-chair on the opposite side of the open window, and was watching the
baronet's face, puzzled a little by that curious transient expression
which had just flitted across it.

"What is the business?" Sir David asked presently; "and how can I be of
use to you?"

"I think you knew all about my engagement to Miss Nowell, when I was here
last September, Sir David," Gilbert began presently.

"Yes, Saltram told me you were engaged; not but what it was easy enough
to see how the land lay, without any telling."

"Miss Nowell has jilted me. I love her too dearly to be able to entertain
any vindictive feeling against her; but I do feel vindictively disposed
towards the man who has robbed me of her, for I know that only a very
powerful influence would have induced her to break faith with me; and
this man must needs have known the dishonourable thing he was doing when
he tempted her away from me. I want to know who he is, Sir David, and how
he came to acquire such an influence over my plighted wife."

"My dear Fenton, you are going on so fast! You say Miss Nowell has jilted
you. She is married to some one else, then, I suppose?"

"She is married to a Mr. Holbrook. I came to Lidford the night before
last, with the hope of finding out something about him; but all my
endeavours have resulted in failure. It struck me at last, as a kind of
forlorn hope, that this Mr. Holbrook might possibly be one of your
autumnal visitors; and I came here to ask you that question."

"No," answered the baronet; "I have had no visitor called Holbrook. Is
the name quite strange to yourself?"

"Entirely strange."

"And this Mr. Holbrook is now Miss Nowell's husband? and you want to know
who he is? With what end?"

"I want to find the man who has done me the deadliest wrong one man can
do another."

"My dear fellow, don't you see that it is fate, and not Mr. Holbrook,
that has done you this wrong? If Miss Nowell had really loved you as she
ought to have loved you, it would have been quite impossible for her to
be tempted away from you. It was her destiny to marry this Holbrook, rely
upon it; and had you been on the spot to protect your own interests, the
result would have been just the same. Believe me, I am very sorry for
you, and can full