the newsmongers of the county,' said Owen
bitterly. 'The idea of his not opening his mouth sooner--the criminality
of the thing!'

'Ah, that's the inconsistency of a weak nature. But now that it is put
to us in this way, how much more probable it seems that she should have
escaped than have been burnt--'

'You will, of course, go straight to Mr. Manston, and ask him what it
all means?' Edward interrupted.

'Of course I shall! Manston has no right to carry off my sister unless
he's her husband,' said Owen. 'I shall go and separate them.'

'Certainly you will,' said the rector.

'Where's the man?'

'In his cottage.'

''Tis no use going to him, either. I must go off at once and overtake
them--lay the case before Manston, and ask him for additional and
certain proofs of his first wife's death. An up-train passes soon, I
think.'

'Where have they gone?' said Edward.

'To Paris--as far as Southampton this afternoon, to proceed to-morrow
morning.'

'Where in Southampton?'

'I really don't know--some hotel. I only have their Paris address. But I
shall find them by making a few inquiries.'

The rector had in the meantime been taking out his pocket-book, and now
opened it at the first page, whereon it was his custom every month to
gum a small railway time-table--cut from the local newspaper.

'The afternoon express is just gone,' he said, holding open the page,
'and the next train to Southampton passes at ten minutes to six o'clock.
Now it wants--let me see--five-and-forty minutes to that time. Mr.
Graye, my advice is that you come with me to the porter's cottage, where
I will shortly write out the substance of what he has said, and get
him to sign it. You will then have far better grounds for interfering
between Mr. and Mrs. Manston than if you went to them with a mere
hearsay story.'

The suggestion seemed a good one. 'Yes, there will be time before the
train starts,' said Owen.

Edward had been musing restlessly.

'Let me go to Southampton in your place, on account of your lameness?'
he said suddenly to Graye.

'I am much obliged to you, but I think I can scarcely accept the offer,'
returned Owen coldly. 'Mr. Manston is an honourable man, and I had much
better see him myself.'

'There is no doubt,' said Mr. Raunham, 'that the death of his wife was
fully believed in by himself.'

'None whatever,' said Owen; 'and the news must be broken to him, and the
question of other proofs asked, in a friendly way.