our after the return of the messenger, the servant came to the
door and said that 'Mr. Grail' was below.

'Yes. I'll see him.'

He spoke the words with difficulty. He advanced to the middle of the
room. Gilbert came in, and the door was closed behind him.

The man looked as if he had risen from his death-bed to obey this
summons. The flesh of his face had shrunk, and left the lines of his
countenance sharp. His eye-sockets were cavernous; the dark eyes had an
unnatural lustre. His hair and beard were abandoned to neglect. His
garments hung with strange looseness about him. He stood there, just
within the door, his gaze fixed on Egremont, a gaze wherein suspicion
and reproach and all unutterable woe were blended.

Walter took a step forward, vainly holding out his hand.

'Grail, what has happened? You are ill. What does it mean?'

'Why have you sent for me, Mr. Egremont?'

The question was uttered with some sternness, but bodily weakness
subdued the voice, which shook. And when he had spoken, his eyes fell.

'Because I want to know what is the matter,' Egremont replied, in
quick, unnerved tones. 'Have you been here to try and see me?'

'Yes, I have.'

'Why? you knew I was away. What has happened, Grail?'

'I thought you knew, Mr. Egremont.'

'How should I know? I have heard nothing from London for a fortnight.
You speak to me in an unfriendly way. Tell me at once what you mean.'

Gilbert looked up for a moment, looked indignantly, bitterly. But his
eyes drooped again as he spoke.

'A fortnight ago Miss Trent left her home, and we can hear nothing of
her. I tried to find you, because I had reason to think that you knew
where she was.'

Walter felt it as a relief. He had waited for something worse. Only
after-thought could occupy itself with the charge distinctly made
against him. He said, as soon as he could command his voice:

'You were wrong in thinking so. I know nothing of Miss Trent. I have no
idea where she can have gone.'

It was only when he found Grail's eyes fixed upon him that he added,
after a pause:

'What were the reasons that led you to think so?'

'You know nothing?' Gilbert said, slowly.

'Nothing whatever. How could you think I did? I don't understand you.'

Walter was not used to speak untruthfully. He knew all this time that a
man upon whom a charge such as this had come as a sheer surprise would
have met it with quite other face and accent. Remembering all that had
passed bet