at the poor fellow had been
trapped, and was more sinned against than sinning. However, there it
was. He was married to the Greek girl; Miss Bremerton's letters
were returned; and the thing was at an end. Our friend says she
behaved splendidly. She went on with her work in the War Trade
Department--shirked nothing and no one--till suddenly, about six
months ago, she had a bad breakdown--'

'What do you mean?' said the Squire abruptly. 'She was ill?'

'A combination of overwork and influenza, I should think; but no
doubt the tragedy had a good deal to do with it. She went down to
stay for a couple of months with an uncle in Dorsetshire, and got
better. Then the family lost some money, through a solicitor's
mismanagement--enough anyway to make a great deal of difference. The
mother too broke down in health. Miss Bremerton came home at once,
and took everything on her own shoulders. You remember, she heard of
your secretaryship from that Balliol man you wrote to--who had been
a tutor of hers when she was at Somerville? She determined to apply
for it. It was more money than she was getting in London, and she
had to provide for her mother and to educate her young sister.
Plucky woman! All this interested me very much, I confess. I have
formed such a high opinion of her! And I thought it would interest
you.'

'I don't know what we any of us have to do with it,' grumbled the
Squire.

The Rector drew himself up a little, resenting the implied rebuke.

'I hope I don't seem to you to be carrying gossip for gossip's
sake,' he said, rather indignantly. 'Nothing was further from my
intention. I like and admire Miss Bremerton a great deal too much.'

'Well, I don't know what we can do,' said the Squire testily. 'We
can't unmarry the man.'

The Rector pulled up short, and offered a chilly good-bye. As he
hurried on towards the village--little knowing the obstacles he
would encounter in his path--he said to himself that the Squire's
manners were really past endurance. One could hardly imagine that
Miss Bremerton would be long able to put up with them.

* * * * *

The Squire meanwhile pursued the rest of his way, wrapped in rather
disagreeable reflections. He was not at all grateful to the Rector
for telling him the story--quite the reverse. It altered his mental
attitude towards his secretary; introduced disturbing ideas, which
he had no use for. He had taken for granted that she was one of
t