ids when he worked in the laboratory. Such indications of hopefulness
caused Marcella more misgiving than pleasure; she made no remark, but
waited with anxiety for some light on the course of events.

Just before dinner, one evening, as she sat alone in the drawing-room,
Christian entered with a look which portended some strange
announcement. He spoke abruptly:

'I have heard something astonishing.'

'What is that?'

'This afternoon I went to the matinee at the Vaudeville, and found
myself among a lot of our friends--the Walworths and the Hunters and
the Mortons. Between the acts I was talking to Hunter, when a man came
up to us, spoke to Hunter, and was introduced to me--a Mr Warricombe.
What do you think he said? "I believe you know my friend Peak, Mr.
Moxey?" "Peak? To be sure! Can you tell me what has become of him?" He
gave me an odd look. "Why, I met him last, some two months ago, in
Devonshire." At that moment we were obliged to go to our places, and I
couldn't get hold of the fellow again. Hunter told me something about
him; he knows the Walworths, it seems--belongs to a good Devonshire
family. What on earth can Peak be doing over there?'

Marcella kept silence. The event she had judged improbable had come to
pass. The chance of its doing so had of course increased since
Christian began to associate freely with the Walworths and their
circle. Yet, considering the slightness of the connection between that
group of people and the Warricombe family, there had seemed no great
likelihood of Christian's getting acquainted with the latter. She
debated rapidly in her troubled mind how to meet this disclosure.
Curiosity would, of course, impel her brother to follow up the clue; he
would again encounter Warricombe, and must then learn all the facts of
Peak's position. To what purpose should she dissemble her own knowledge?

Did she desire that Godwin should remain in security? A tremor more
akin to gladness than its opposite impeded her utterance. If Warricombe
became aware of all that was involved in Godwin Peak's withdrawal from
among his friends--if (as must follow) he imparted the discovery to his
sister----

The necessity of speaking enabled her to ignore these turbulent
speculations, which yet were anything but new to her.

'They met at Budleigh Salterton,' she said, quietly.

'Who did? Warricombe and Peak?'

'Yes. At the Moorhouses'. It was when I was there.'

Christian stared at her.

'When you were