ing I ought not!"

"Laura dear, whatever you say is sacred to me. Besides, I'm your
cousin by marriage, and it's my business to think and act for
you: let me help you into this alley." A little further on there
was a by-path through the shrubberies, and Lawrence drew her
towards it, but her limbs were giving way under her, and after a
momentary hesitation he carried her into it in his arms. "There:
sit on this bank. Lean on me," he sat down by her. "Is that
better?"

"Oh yes: thank you: I'm so glad to be out of the drive," said
Laura, letting her head fall, like a child, on his shoulder. "I
seem to have been there such a long while. I didn't know where to
go. Once a tradesman's cart drove by, the butcher's it was: you
know Bernard gets so cross because they will drive this way to
save the long round by the stables. He stared at me, but I
didn't know what to do." Lawrence repressed a groan: it would be
all over the village then, there was no help for it. "Where was
I to go in these clothes? I did wish you would come, I always
feel so safe with you."

Lawrence silently stroked her hair. His heart was riven. "So
safe?" and this was all his doing.

"Was the door locked?"

"Yes."

"And he refused to open it?"

"No, he did open it."

"He did open it, do you say?"

"Yes, because--oh, my head."

"You aren't hurt anywhere, are you?" asked Lawrence, feeling cold
to his fingertips.

"No, no," she roused herself, dimly sensible of his anxiety,
"it's only that I feel faint, but it's passing off. No, I don't
want any water! I'd far rather you stayed with me. It's such a
comfort to have you here." Lawrence was speechless. Her hands
went to her hair. "Oh dear, I wish I weren't so untidy! Never
mind, I shall be all right directly: it does me more good than
anything else just to tell you about it."

"Well, tell me then."

"The door was locked," she continued languidly but a thought more
clearly, "and the chain was up and Bernard's couch was drawn
across inside. He must have got Barry to wheel it over. When I
begged him to let me in he unlocked the door but left it on the
chain so that it would only open a few inches. I tried to push my
way in, but he held me back."

"Laura, did he strike you?"

"No, no," said Laura with greater energy than she had yet shown.
Lawrence drew a breath of relief. He had felt a horrible fear
that her faintness might be the result of a blow or a fall. "Oh,
how could