! It was not he. It
may have been some one whom he sent, but it was not he. Guy, have you
heard from him? Do you know where he is?"

I shook my head. Ray interposed.

"I think," he said roughly, "that you'll find him at home when you get
there, madam, wherever that may be. If he were in this country it would
be within the four walls of a prison."

She looked across at him.

"You have set them on--the police--then?" she said. "You would hunt him
down still? After all these years?"

"Ay!" he answered.--"Tell me where he is hiding in this country, and I
will promise you that his days of freedom are over."

She pointed to me.

"His father?"

"Ay, were he his father a hundred times over."

She turned to me as though in protest, but my face gave her no
encouragement. She rose wearily to her feet.

"I will go," she muttered. "Guy," she added, turning to me, "you are
honest. You will always be honest. You have nothing to fear, so you do
not hesitate to speak if necessary to those whom nevertheless you do not
trust. But there are other things in the world to fear besides
dishonesty. There is animal brutality, coarse indifference to pain in
others. There is the triumph of the beast over the man. There he sits,
he who can teach you these things," she added, pointing to Ray. "Do not
choose him for your friend, Guy. You will grow to see life, to judge
others, through his eyes-and then God help you."

Ray laughed, and again to me there seemed to be a note of coarseness in
his strident and unconcealed contempt of the woman. She took no notice
of him whatever. She opened the door and passed out so quickly that
though I tried to intercept her, and called out after her, I was
powerless to prevent her going. She had flitted away into the shadows.
I could not even hear her retreating footsteps.

CHAPTER XXXII

A PAINFUL ENCOUNTER

More work. A week of it, ceaseless and unremitting. The police seemed
to have abandoned their watch over my cottage, and I heard a whisper
that a statement by the Duke had at any rate partially cleared me from
suspicion. Ray had declined to leave England. I knew quite well that
it was on my account. He, with the others, was now in London.

Then came my own summons thither. I was told to report myself
immediately on arrival at Rowchester House, and to my surprise was
informed by the servant who answered my inquiries that a room was
reserved for me there. I had no sooner reached it than Lady