with Ralph to see him mount; had thanked
him for his assistance, and had reminded him that they would meet again
at Lewes in the course of a month or so.

"God speed you!" he cried as the party rode off.

* * * * *

Ralph's fury had died to a glow, but it was red within him; the reading
last night had done its work well, driven home by the shrewd conviction
of a man of the world, experienced in the ways of vice. It had not died
with the dark. He could not say that he was attracted to Dr. Layton; the
priest's shocking familiarity with the more revolting forms of sin, as
well as his under-breeding and brutality, made him a disagreeable
character; but Ralph had very little doubt now that his judgment on the
religious houses was a right one. Even the nunneries, it seemed, were
not free from taint; there had been one or two terrible tales on the
previous evening; and Ralph was determined to spare them nothing, and at
any rate to remove his sister from their power. He remembered with
satisfaction that she was below the age specified, and that he would
have authority to dismiss her from the home.

He knew very little of Margaret; and had scarcely seen her once in two
years. He had been already out in the world before she had ceased to be
a child, and from what little he had seen of her he had thought of her
but as little more than a milk-and-water creature, very delicate and
shy, always at her prayers, or trailing about after nuns with a pale
radiant face. She had been sent to Rusper for her education, and he
never saw her except now and then when they chanced to be at home
together for a few days. She used to look at him, he remembered, with
awe-stricken eyes and parted lips, hardly daring to speak when he was in
the room, continually to be met with going from or to the tall quiet
chapel.

He had always supposed that she would be a nun, and had acquiesced in it
in a cynical sort of way; but he was going to acquiesce no longer now.
Of course she would sob, but equally of course she would not dare to
resist.

He called Morris up to him presently as they emerged from one of the
bridle paths on to a kind of lane where two could ride abreast. The
servant had seemed oddly silent that morning.

"We are going to Rusper," said Ralph.

"Yes, sir."

"Mistress Margaret is there."

"Yes, sir."

"She will come away with us. I may have to send you on to Overfield with
her. You must find a horse