eir frugal supper and they sat till late
with the paper between them.

"You have had a lucky escape," Alice said.

"My father has," May replied. "I would never have married that man. I
would have starved first. I never liked him and always felt there was
something wrong about him. He won't trouble us any more and I only hope
this terrible business won't upset my father."

"Don't let us talk any more about it," Alice said. "Let us think about
nothing else but your going home again. I don't know how I shall manage
to stay in London after this. My fortnight at Haredale Park spoilt me."

It is not necessary to say much about May's homecoming. Sir George met
his daughter in the hall. He waited to say a few words to Alice Carden
and then led May into the library.

"I hope you won't blame me, my child," he said. "I can say no more than
that I am exceedingly sorry for what happened. It was only after you had
gone that I realized what a brute I had been. I must have been mad. But
I thought I was going to be turned out of the old home, and to marry
Copley--pardon me for alluding to it--seemed such an easy way out of my
difficulty. I know now that women don't regard these things from the
same standpoint as men do and, of course, I believed Copley was in a
strong position. I regarded him as honest and straightforward,
otherwise----"

"You could not have done that," May protested. "How could you? When you
were ready to fall in with his--but I won't say anything about that. All
that is past and done with for ever. As Harry Fielden said, no man knows
how weak he is till he is face to face with a great temptation. It is
enough that you sincerely regret what has happened. As for me, I am only
too glad to return home on any terms."

"You overwhelm me," Sir George murmured.

"Oh, don't feel like that, I implore you. But, tell me, what difference
will this make to you? I have heard about the strange story of the colt
and how Harry Fielden stepped in to prevent disgrace to our house. But
that does not alter the fact that you owe Mr. Copley a large sum of
money. I suppose it will have to be paid whether he is convicted or
not."

"Undoubtedly," Sir George answered. "But my lawyer says it will be some
time before I am called upon to pay the money. I had a long interview
with him this morning. Everybody knows now that Raymond Copley is no
millionaire and that he is an unscrupulous adventurer who passed
himself off as a wealthy man in