pity he kept it a secret so long —­ that there was a third person present that evening when he came upon Mr. Redgrave.  I dare say you remember the details of the story told in court.  All was perfectly true; but my husband should have added that a woman was with Mr. Redgrave, talking alone with him in the dark; and when the blow had been struck, this woman, who had quickly disappeared from the veranda into the house, was found to be Mrs. Rolfe.’

Hugh’s hand had fallen on to his friend’s shoulder.  He spoke as soon as Sibyl ceased.

’She said she had done no wrong.  I had no proof of any —­ no proof whatever.’

Rolfe was looking at Alma.  She, through the unimpassioned arraignment, stood with eyes fixed upon her enemy, rather as if lost in thought than listening; her mouth was tortured into a smile, her forehead had the lines of age and misery.  At the sound of Hugh’s voice, she turned to him, and spoke like one recovering consciousness.

‘You have told the truth.’

‘Why did you compel me to make this known, Mrs. Rolfe?’

’Oh, that’s quite a mistake.  It was she who made you tell it —­ as she will make you do anything, and believe anything, she likes.  I can imagine how delighted she was.  But it doesn’t matter.  If you care to know it, either of you’ —­ she included Carnaby and her husband in one glance, as equally remote from her —­ ’I haven’t gone about seeking to injure her.  Perhaps I let one or two people know what I thought; but they had heard the truth already.  It wasn’t prudent; and it wasn’t a right return for the kindness you had shown me, Mr. Carnaby.  But I’m not sure that I should have done better in helping to deceive you.  Has she anything more to say?  If not, I will leave you to talk about it.’

The tone of this speech, so indifferent that it seemed light-headed, struck the hearers mute.  Rolfe, speaking for the first time since Hugh’s entrance, said at length, with troubled sternness ——­

’Alma, you have repeated your charge against Mrs. Carnaby; what grounds have you for it?’

She looked at him with a vague smile, but did not answer.

‘Surely you don’t make an accusation of this kind without some proof?’

‘Harvey!’ The cry quivered on a laugh.  ’O Harvey! who would know you with that face?’

Sibyl rose.  The men exchanged a quick glance.  Rolfe moved to his wife’s side, and touched her.

‘Yes, yes, I know,’ she went on, drawing away —­ ’I know what you asked me.  Keep quiet, just a little.  There are three of you, and it’s hard for me alone.  It isn’t so easy to make you believe things, Harvey.  Of course, I knew how it would be if this came out.  I can tell you, but not now; some other time, when we are alone.  You won’t believe me; I always knew I shouldn’t be believed.  I ought to have been cautious, and have kept friends with her.  But it wasn’t as if I had anything to hide —­ anything that mattered.  Let me go, and leave you three to talk.  And when you come home ——­’