that it was not easy for him to remember
how complete had seemed the severance between him and Sidwell. The
charm of her presence was reasserting itself, and when avowal of
continued love appeared so unmistakably in her troubled countenance,
her broken words, he could not control the answering fervour. He spoke
in a changed voice, and allowed his eyes to dwell longingly upon hers.

'I felt so at first,' she answered. 'And it would be wrong to pretend
that I can still regard you as I did before.'

It cost her a great effort to add these words. When they were spoken,
she was at once glad and fearful.

'I am not so foolish, as to think it possible,' said Peak, half turning
away.

'But that is no reason,' she pursued, 'why we should become strangers.
You are still so young a man; life must be so full of possibilities for
you. This year has been wasted, but when you leave Exeter'----

An impatient movement of Godwin's checked her.

'You are going to encourage me to begin the struggle once more,' he
said, bitterly. 'Where? How? It is so easy to talk of "possibilities".'

'You are not without friends--I mean friends whose sympathy is of real
value to you.'

Saying this, she looked keenly at him.

'Friends,' he replied, 'who perhaps at this moment are laughing over my
disgrace.'

'How do they know of--what has happened?'

'How did your brother get his information? I didn't care to ask
him.--No, I don't even wish you to say anything about that.'

'But surely there is no reason for keeping it secret. Why may I not
speak freely? Buckland told me that he had heard you spoken of at the
house of people named Moxey.'

She endeavoured to understand the smile which rose to his lips. 'Now it
is clear to me,' he said. 'Yes, I suppose that was inevitable, sooner
or later.'

'You knew that he had become acquainted with the Moxeys?'

Her tone was more reserved than hitherto.

'Yes, I knew he had. He met Miss Moxey by chance at Budleigh Salterton,
and I happened to be there--at the Moorhouses'--on the same day.'

Sidwell glanced at him inquiringly, and waited for something more.

'I saw Miss Moxey in private,' he added, speaking more quickly, 'and
asked her to keep my secret. I ought to be ashamed to tell you this,
but it is better you should know how far my humiliation has gone.'

He saw that she was moved with strong feeling. The low tone in which
she answered had peculiar significance.

'Did you speak of me to Mis