Thresk with a laugh which made him human on
the instant.

"Well, it's true," said Jane Repton in a rush. "She told me the
truth--what you know and more. He stripped when he was drunk, stripped
to the skin. Think of it! Stella told me that and broke down. Oh, if you
had seen her! For Stella to give way--that alone must alarm her friends.
Oh, but the look of her! She sat by my side on the sofa, wringing her
hands, with the tears pouring down her face ..." Thresk rose quickly
from his chair.

"Thank you," he said, cutting her short. He wanted to hear no more. He
held out his hand to her with a certain abruptness.

Mrs. Repton rose too.

"What are you going to do?" she asked breathlessly. "I must know I have a
right to, I think. I have told you so much. I was in great doubt whether
I should tell you anything. But--" Her voice broke and she ended her
plea lamely enough: "I am very fond of Stella."

"I know that," said Thresk, and his voice was grateful and his face
most friendly.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I am going to write to her to ask her to join me in Bombay," he replied.

CHAPTER X

NEWS FROM CHITIPUR

A long silence followed upon his words. Jane Repton turned to the
mantelshelf and moved an ornament here and another one there. She had
contemplated this very consequence of Thresk's journey to Chitipur. She
had actually worked for it herself. She was frank enough to acknowledge
that. None the less his announcement, quietly as he had made it, was a
shock to her. She did not, however, go back upon her work; and when she
spoke it was rather to make sure that he was not going to act upon an
unconsidered impulse.

"It will damage your career," she said. "Of course you have
thought of that."

"It will alter it," he answered, "if she comes to me. I shall go out of
Parliament, of course."

"And your practice?"

"That will suffer too for a while no doubt. But even if I lost it
altogether I should not be a poor man."

"You have saved money?"

"No. There has not been much time for that, but for a good many years now
I have collected silver and miniatures. I know something about them and
the collection is of value."

"I see."

Mrs. Repton looked at him now. Oh, yes, he had thought his proposal out
during the night journey to Bombay--not a doubt of it.

"Stella, too, will suffer," she said.

"Worse than she does now?" asked Thresk.

"No. But her position will be difficult for awhile