ake you forget."

He thought she winced at the word "forget."

"When did you first guess--or know?"

He hesitated--then thought it best to tell the truth.

"When we were in the lime-walk."

"When you asked--her name? I remember"--her voice broke--"how you wrung
my hand! And you never had any suspicion before?"

"Never. And it makes no difference, Diana--to you and me--none. I want
you to understand that now--at once."

She looked at him, smiling tremulously. His words became him; even in
her sorrow her eyes delighted in his shrewd thin face; in the fair hair,
prematurely touched with gray, and lying heavily on the broad brow; in
the intelligence and distinction of his whole aspect.

"You are so good to me--" she said, with a little sob. "No--no!--please,
dear Oliver!--we have so much to talk of." And again she prevented him
from taking her in his arms. "Tell me"--she laid her hand on his
persuasively: "Sir James, of course, knew from the beginning?"

"Yes--from the beginning--that first night at Tallyn. He is coming down
this afternoon, dearest. He knew you would want to see him. But it may
not be till late."

"After all, I know so little yet," she said, bewildered. "Only--only
what Fanny told me."

"What made her tell you?"

"She was angry with me--I forget about what. I did not understand at
first what she was saying. Oliver"--she grasped his hand tightly, while
the lids dropped over the eyes, as though she would shut out even his
face as she asked her question--"is it true that--that--the death
sentence--"

"Yes," said Marsham, reluctantly. "But it was at once commuted. And
three weeks after the sentence she was released. She lived, Sir James
tells me, nearly two months after your father brought her home."

"I wrote last night to the lawyers"--Diana breathed it almost in a
whisper. "I am sure there is a letter for me--I am sure papa wrote."

"Promise me one thing!" said Marsham. "If they send you newspapers--for
my sake, don't read them. Sir James will tell you, this afternoon,
things the public have never known--facts which would certainly have
altered the verdict if the jury had known. Your poor mother struck the
blow in what was practically an impulse of self-defence, and the
evidence which mainly convicted her was perjured evidence, as the liar
who gave it confessed years afterward. Sir James will tell you that. He
has the confession."

Her face relaxed, her mouth trembled violently.

"Oh, O