where you may be safe and
well."

"Why are you afraid of going to England?" Stanbury asked.

"Because they have threatened to put me--in a madhouse."

"Nobody ever thought of so treating you," said his wife.

"Your father did,--and your mother. They told me so."

"Look here, Trevelyan. Sir Marmaduke and Lady Rowley are gone. They
will have sailed, at least, before we can reach England. Whatever may
have been either their wishes or their power, they can do nothing
now. Here something would be done,--very soon; you may take my word
for that. If you will return with me and your wife, you shall choose
your own place of abode. Is not that so, Emily?"

"He shall choose everything. His boy will be with him, and I will be
with him, and he shall be contradicted in nothing. If he only knew my
heart towards him!"

"You hear what she says, Trevelyan?"

"Yes; I hear her."

"And you believe her?"

"I'm not so sure of that. Stanbury, how should you like to be locked
up in a madhouse and grin through the bars till your heart was
broken? It would not take long with me, I know."

"You shall never be locked up;--never be touched," said his wife.

"I am very harmless here," he said, almost crying; "very harmless. I
do not think anybody here will touch me," he added, afterwards. "And
there are other places. There are other places. My God, that I should
be driven about the world like this!" The conference was ended by his
saying that he would take two days to think of it, and by his then
desiring that they would both leave him. They did so, and descended
the hill together, knowing that he was watching them,--that he would
watch them till they were out of sight from the gate;--for, as Mrs.
Trevelyan said, he never came down the hill now, knowing that the
labour of ascending it was too much for him. When they were at the
carriage they were met by one of the women of the house, and strict
injunctions were given to her by Mrs. Trevelyan to send on word
to Siena if the Signore should prepare to move. "He cannot go far
without my knowing it," said she, "because he draws his money in
Siena, and lately I have taken to him what he wants. He has not
enough with him for a long journey." For Stanbury had suggested that
he might be off to seek another residence in another country, and
that they would find Casalunga vacant when they reached it on the
following Tuesday. But he told himself almost immediately,--not
caring to express such an