conceal. The girl at his side, muffled in a blue cloak, with a dark hood
framing the pale gold of the hair, and the delicate curves of the face,
listened in silence. At the end she said:

"Tell me on what grounds you think Mr. Melrose has left his property to
Mr. Faversham?"

"Everybody believes it! My Carlisle lawyers whom I saw this morning are
convinced of it. Melrose is said to have spoken quite frankly about it to
many persons."

"Not very strong evidence on which to condemn a man so utterly as you
condemn him," said Lydia, with sudden emotion. "Think of the difficulty
of his position! May he not be honestly trying to steer his way? And may
not we all be doing our best to make his task impossible, putting the
worst construction--the very worst!--on everything he does?"

There was silence a moment. Tatham and Lydia were looking into each
other's faces; the girl's soul, wounded and fluttering, was in her
eyes. Tatham felt a sudden and choking sense of catastrophe. Their
house of cards had fallen about them, and his stubborn hopes with it.
She, with her high standards, could not possibly defend--could not
possibly plead--for a man who was behaving so shabbily, so dishonourably,
except--for one reason! He leapt indignantly at certainty; although it
was a certainty that tortured him.

"There is evidence enough!" he said, in a changed voice. "I don't
understand how you can stick up for him."

"I don't," she said sadly, "not if it's true. But I don't want to believe
it. Why should one want to believe the worst, you and I, about anybody?"

Tatham kept an explosive silence for a moment, and then broke out
hoarsely:

"Do you remember, we promised we'd be real friends?--we'd be really frank
with each other? I've kept my bargain. Are you keeping it? Isn't there
something you haven't told me!--something I ought to know?"

"No, nothing!" cried Lydia, with sudden energy. "You misunderstand--you
offend me."

She drew her breath quickly. There were angry tears in her eyes, hidden
by the hood.

A gust of passion swept through Tatham, revealing his manhood to itself.
He stopped, caught her hands, and held them fiercely, imprisoned against
his breast. She must needs look up at him; male strength compelled;
they stood motionless a few seconds under the shadows of the trees.

"If there _is_ nothing--if I _do_ misunderstand--if I'm wrong in what I
think--for God's sake listen to me--give me back my promise. I can't--I
can