'Yes, sir, twice over, as distinct as could be. I told her I

should call again, but seeing you just as I was on my way back

from questioning the young man who said it was her, I thought I

would ask your advice, both as the magistrate who saw Leonards on

his death-bed, and as the gentleman who got me my berth in the

force.' 'You were quite right,' said Mr. Thornton. 'Don't take any steps

till you have seen me again.' 'The young lady will expect me to call, from what I said.' 'I only want to delay you an hour. It's now three. Come to my

warehouse at four.' 'Very well, sir!' And they parted company. Mr. Thornton hurried to his warehouse,

and, sternly forbidding his clerks to allow any one to interrupt

him, he went his way to his own private room, and locked the

door. Then he indulged himself in the torture of thinking it all

over, and realising every detail. How could he have lulled

himself into the unsuspicious calm in which her tearful image had

mirrored itself not two hours before, till he had weakly pitied

her and yearned towards her, and forgotten the savage,

distrustful jealousy with which the sight of her--and that

unknown to him--at such an hour--in such a place--had inspired

him! How could one so pure have stooped from her decorous and

noble manner of bearing! But was it decorous--was it? He hated

himself for the idea that forced itself upon him, just for an

instant--no more--and yet, while it was present, thrilled him

with its old potency of attraction towards her image. And then

this falsehood--how terrible must be some dread of shame to be

revealed--for, after all, the provocation given by such a man as

Leonards was, when excited by drinking, might, in all

probability, be more than enough to justify any one who came

forward to state the circumstances openly and without reserve!

How creeping and deadly that fear which could bow down the

truthful Margaret to falsehood! He could almost pity her. What

would be the end of it? She could not have considered all she was

entering upon; if there was an inquest and the young man came

forward. Suddenly he started up. There should be no inquest. He

would save Margaret. He would take the responsibility of

preventing the inquest, the issue of which, from the uncertainty

of the medical testimony (which he had vaguely heard the night

before, from the surgeon in attendance), could be but doubtful;

the doctors had discovered an internal disease far advanced, and

sure to prove fatal; they had stated that death might have been

accelerated by the fall, or by the subsequent drinking and

exposure to cold. If he had but known how Margaret would have

become involved in the affair--if he had but foreseen that she

would have stained her whiteness by a falsehood, he could have

saved her by a word; for the question, of inquest or no inquest,

had hung trembling in the balance only the night before. Miss

Hale might love another--was indifferent and contemptuous to

him--but he would yet do her faithful acts of service of which

she should never know. He might despise her, but the woman whom

he had once loved should be kept from shame; and shame it would

be to pledge herself to a lie in a public court, or otherwise to

stand and acknowledge her reason for desiring darkness rather

than light.




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