o do, and he worships her to that extent. But I feel
sure, sir, that Le Maitre is dead. God would not be so unkind as to have
me and the children bereft in that way."

Her simple belief in her husband's power to settle the matter was
shocking to Caius, because he felt that she probably knew her husband
perfectly.

"But why," said he again, "would it kill her if he came back?"

"Well, what sort of a decent man is it that would have stayed away from
her all these years, poor lamb? Why, sir, she wasn't but a child at the
convent when her father had them married, and she back to school, and he
away to his ship, and never come to see her since."

Caius turned as he knelt upon the grass, and, holding the emerald moss
and saxifrage plants in his hand, looked up at her. "He went away two
years ago," he said, repeating defiantly what he believed he had heard.

"He went away six year ago," corrected she; "but it's two years now
since aught was heard of him, and his ship went down, sir, coming back
from Afriky--that we know; but word came that the crew were saved, but
never a word from him, nor a word of him, since."

"Did she"--his throat would hardly frame the words--a nervous spasm
impeded them; yet he could not but ask--"did she care for him?"

"Oh well, sir, as to that, he was a beautiful-looking man, and she but a
child; but when she came to herself she wrote and asked him never to
come back; she told me so; and he never did."

"Well, that at least was civil of him." Caius spoke in full earnest.

"No, sir; he's not civil; he's a beast of a man. There's no sort of low
trick that he hasn't done, only it can't be proved against him; for he's
the sort of beast that is a snake; he only married madame for the money
he'll get with her. It was when _she_ learned that that she wrote to him
not to come back; but he never sent an honest word to say whether he'd
stay away or not. She knows what he is, sir, for folks that he'd cheated
and lied to come to her to complain. Young as she is, there's white
threads in her hair, just to think that he might come back at any time.
It's making an old woman of her since she's come of an age to think; and
she the merriest, blithest creature that ever was. When she first came
out of the convent, to see her dance and sing was a sight to make old
eyes young."

"Yes," said Caius eagerly, "I know it was--I am sure it was."

"Oh, but you never saw her, sir, till the shadow had come on her."