outrage on a more than decent community, and a new interest in many
admirable lives.

Soon there were complaints which I was requested to transmit to
Coplestone in his next lucid interval. But I only pretended to have done
so. I thought the complainants a set of self-righteous busybodies, and I
vastly preferred the good will of the delinquent. That was partly on
Ronnie's account, partly for the sake of the man's own magnificent past,
but partly also because his present seemed to me a fleeting phase of
sheer insanity, which would end as suddenly as it had supervened. The
form was too bad to be true, even if Coplestone had ever shown it
before; and there was now some evidence that he had not.

Delavoye had come down from town with eyes as bright as Ronnie's.

"You remember Sawrey-Biggerstaff by name? He was second for the
Diamonds the second year Coplestone won them, and he won them himself
the year after. I met him to-day with a man who lunched me at the
United University. I told him we had Coplestone down here, and asked
him if it was true that he had ever been off the rails like this
before, only without breathing a word about his being off them now.
Sawrey-Biggerstaff swore that he had never heard of such a libel, or
struck a more abstemious hound than Harry Coplestone, or ever heard of
him being or ever having been anything else! So you must see what it all
means, Gilly."

"It means that he's never got over the loss of his wife."

"But that happened nearly three years ago. Ronnie told me. Why didn't
the old boy break out before? Why save it all up for Witching Hill?"

"I know what you're going to say."

"But isn't it obvious? Our wicked old man drank like an aquarium. His
vices are the weeds of this polluted soil; they crop up one after the
other, and with inveterate irony he's allotted this one to the noblest
creature on the place. It's for us to save him by hook or crook--or
rather it's my own hereditary job."

"And how do you mean to set about it?"

"You'll be angry with me, Gilly, but I shan't be happy till I see his
house on your hands again. It's the only chance--to drive him into fresh
woods and pastures new!"

I was angry. I declined to discuss the matter any further; but I stuck
to my opinion that the cloud would vanish as quickly as it had gathered.
And Coplestone of all men was man enough to stand his ground and live it
down.

But first he must take himself in hand, instead of which I had to o