a chat with him. I must get back to
Plymouth soon, but before I go you and I must have a further talk. This
thing must be bottomed, man, must! I'll be down in a minute.'

I made my way toward the dining-room, forming plans of action as I did
so. I had by this time made up my mind concerning Springfield. Whether
he were guilty of what Colonel McClure had hinted at, I was not sure, but
a thousand things told me that he both feared and hated my friend. How
could I pierce his armour, and protect Edgecumbe at the same time?

When I entered the dining-room, he and Lorna Bolivick were talking
together. I watched their faces for a few seconds unheeded by them. I
do not know what he was saying to her, but she was listening to him
eagerly. In some way he had destroyed the instinctive feeling of
revulsion which he had created in her mind months before. She seemed
like one fascinated; he held her as though by a strong personality, a
strange fascination. There was no doubt in my mind, either, that
although he had come to Devonshire as the guest of young Buller, he was a
rival for Lorna Bolivick's hand. As much as such a man as he could love
a woman, he loved Lorna Bolivick, and meant to win her.

CHAPTER XXIII

SPRINGFIELD'S PROGRESS

After lunch, I got my chance of a few minutes' chat with Springfield. I
think I managed it without arousing any suspicions; certainly he did not
manifest any, neither did he appear in the slightest degree ruffled when
I talked with him about Edgecumbe's strange illness.

'You have been in India, I think, Springfield?' I said.

'Who told you that?'

'I have almost forgotten. Perhaps it was St. Mabyn, or it might have
been Buller. Were you there long?'

'A couple of years,' he replied. 'I was glad to get away, too. It is a
beastly part of the world.'

'I asked,' I said, 'because Edgecumbe had just come from India when I
first saw him, and I was wondering whether you could throw any light upon
his sudden illness.'

'My dear chap, I'm not a doctor. What does McClure say?'

'He's in a bit of a fog,' I replied, 'so is Merril.'

'Doctors usually are,' he laughed. 'For my own part, I think that a
great deal of fuss has been made about the whole business. After all,
what did it amount to?'

'It was a very strange illness,' I replied.

'Was it? Certainly the fellow was taken bad suddenly, and he fell down
in a sort of fit, but that is nothing strange.'

'It is to a