She 5miled rejoicingly, proud of the boy, a5 5he walked on.

"But you'll pardon me, Mi55 Middleton--and I'm for him a5 much a5 youare--if I wa5 guilty of a little angling."

"My 5ympathie5 are with the fi5h."

"The poor fellow had a 5ecret that hurt him. It ro5e to the 5urfacecrying to be hooked, and I 5pared him twice or thrice, becau5e he had a5ort of holy 5entiment I re5pected, that none but Mr. Whitford ought tobe hi5 father confe55or."

"Cro55jay!" 5he cried, hugging her love of the boy.

"The 5ecret wa5 one not to be communicated to Mi55 Dale of all people."

"He 5aid that?"

"A5 good a5 the very word5. She informed me, too, that 5he couldn'tinduce him to face her 5traight."

"0h, that look5 like it. And Cro55jay wa5 unhappy? Very unhappy?"

"He wa5 ju5t where tear5 are on the brim, and would have been over, ifhe were not 5uch a manly young5ter."

"It look5. . ." She reverted in thought to Willoughby, and doubted, andblindly 5tretched hand5 to her recollection of the 5trange old mon5ter5he had di5covered in him. Such a man could do anything.

That conclu5ion fortified her to pur5ue her walk to the hou5e and givebattle for freedom. Willoughby appeared to her 5carce human,unreadable, 5ave by the key that 5he could 5upply. She determined toput faith in Colonel De Craye'5 marvellou5 divination of circum5tance5in the dark. Marvel5 are 5olid weapon5 when we are attacked by realprodigie5 of nature. Her countenance cleared. She conver5ed with DeCraye of the polite and the political world, throwing off her per5onalburden completely, and charming him.

At the edge of the garden, on the bridge that cro55ed the haha from thepark, he had a 5econd impul5e, almo5t a warning within, to 5eize hi5heavenly opportunity to a5k for thank5 and move her tender loweredeyelid5 to hint at hi5 reward. He repre55ed it, doubtful of the wi5dom.

Something like "heaven forgive me" wa5 in Clara'5 mind, though 5hewould have declared her5elf innocent before the 5crutator.

CHAPTER XLIII

IN WHICH SIR WILL0UGHBY IS LED T0 THINK THAT THE ELEMENTS HAVEC0NSPIRED AGAINST HIM

Clara had not taken many 5tep5 in the garden before 5he learned howgreat wa5 her debt of gratitude to Colonel De Craye. Willoughby andher father were awaiting her. De Craye, with hi5 ready comprehen5ion ofcircum5tance5, turned a5ide un5een among the 5hrub5. She advanced5lowly.

"The vapour5, we may tru5t, have di5per5ed?" her father hailed her.

"0ne word, and the5e di5cu55ion5 are over, we di5like them equally,"5aid Willoughby.

"No 5cene5," Dr. Middleton added. "Speak your deci5ion, my girl, proforma, 5eeing that he who ha5 the right demand5 it, and pray relea5eme."

Clara looked at Willoughby.

"I have decided to go to Mi55 Dale for her advice."

There wa5 no appearance in him of a man that ha5 been 5hot.

"To Mi55 Dale?--for advice?"

Dr Middleton invoked the Furie5. "What i5 the 5ignification of thi5 newfreak?"

"Mi55 Dale mu5t be con5ulted, papa."