nd drank voraciously in silence. She sat at the opposite side of the
table--the solitary candle between them, and shading her eyes with one
hand she gazed at his face.

Walter Goddard was a man at least forty years of age. He had been thought
very handsome once. He had light blue eyes and a fair skin with flaxen
hair--now cropped short and close to his head. There was nearly a
fortnight's growth of beard upon his face, but it was not yet sufficient
to hide his mouth and chin. He had formerly worn a heavy moustache and
it was chiefly the absence of it which now made it hard for his wife to
recognise him. A battered hat, drenched and dripping with rain, shaded
his brows. Possibly he was ashamed to remove it. His mouth was small and
weak and his jaw was pointed. His whole expression was singularly
disagreeable--his hands were filthy, and his face was not clean. About
his neck was twisted a ragged woollen comforter, and he wore a
smock-frock which was now soaked with water and clung to his thin figure.
He devoured the food his wife had brought him, shivering from time to
time as though he were still cold.

Mrs. Goddard watched him in silence. She had done mechanically according
to her first instinct, had led him in and had given him food. But she had
not recovered herself sufficiently from her first horror and astonishment
to realise her situation. At last she spoke.

"How did you escape?" she asked. He bent lower than before, over his
plate and would not look at her.

"Don't ask me," he answered shortly.

"Why did you do it?" she inquired again. Goddard laughed harshly; his
voice was hoarse and cracked.

"Why did I do it!" he repeated. "Did you ever hear of any one who would
not escape from prison if he had the chance? Don't look at me like that,
Mary--"

"I am sorry for you," she said.

"You don't seem very glad to see me," he answered roughly. "I might have
known it."

"Yes, you might have known it."

It seemed a very hard and cruel thing to say, and Mary Goddard was very
far from being a cruel woman by nature; but she was stunned by fear and
disgust and horrified by the possibilities of harm suddenly brought
before her.

Goddard pushed his plate away and leaned his elbows upon the table
supporting his chin in his hands. He scowled at her defiantly.

"You have given me a warm reception, after nearly three years
of--separation." There was a bitter sneer in the word.

"I am horrified to see you here," she