“I have reason to know that it was otherwise.  I have heard from Marian’s own lips that she would have written a candid confession of the truth had she been free to do so.  It was her husband who prevented her giving me notice of my desertion.”

“I cannot pretend to explain his conduct,” Sir David answered gravely.  “I only know that I pledged myself to keep his secret; and felt bound to do so, even at the cost of a lie.”

“And this man is your friend.  You must know whether he is worthy to be Marian Nowell’s husband.  The circumstances of her life do not seem to me favourable to happiness, so far as I have been able to discover them; nor did I think her looking happy when we met.  But I should be glad to know that she has not fallen into bad hands.”

“And I suppose by this time your feelings have cooled down a little.  You have abandoned those revengeful intentions you appeared to entertain, when you were last in this house?”

“In a great measure, yes.  I have promised Marian that, should I and her husband meet, as we must do, I believe, sooner or later, she need apprehend no violence on my part.  He has won the prize; any open resentment would seem mere schoolboy folly.  But you cannot suppose that I feel very kindly towards him, or ever shall.”

“Upon my soul, I think men are hardly responsible for their actions where a woman is concerned,” Sir David exclaimed after a pause.  “We are the veriest slaves of destiny in these matters.  A man sees the only woman in the world he can love too late to win her with honour.  If he is strong enough to act nobly, he turns his back upon the scene of his temptation, all the more easily should the lady happen to be staunch to her affianced, or her husband, as the case may be.  But if she waver—­if he sees that his love is returned—­heaven help him!  Honour, generosity, friendship, all go by the board; and for the light in those fatal eyes, for the dangerous music of that one dear voice, he sacrifices all that he has held highest in life until that luckless time.  I know that Holbrook held it no light thing to do you this wrong; I know that he fought manfully against temptation.  But, you see, fate was the stronger; and he had to give way at the last.”

“I cannot agree with that way of looking at things, Sir David.  The world is made up of people who take their own pleasure at any cost to others, and then throw the onus of their misdoings upon Providence.  I have long ago forgiven the girl who jilted me, and have sworn to be her faithful and watchful friend in all the days to come.  I want to be sure that her future is a bright one—­much brighter than it seemed when I saw her in your lonely old house near Crosber.  She has had money left her since then; so poverty can no longer be a reason for her being hidden from the world.”

“I am very glad to hear that; my friend is not a rich man.”

“So Marian told me.  But I want to learn something more than that about him.  Up to this moment he has been the most intangible being I ever heard of.  Will you tell me who and what he is—­his position in the world, and so on?”