tters would go on as before. Neither Mrs.
Goddard nor the squire ever referred to the interview on that memorable
stormy afternoon, and so far as the squire could judge his life and hers
might go on with perfect tranquillity until it should please the powers
that be and the governor of Portland to set Mr. Walter Goddard at
liberty. Heaven only knew what would happen then, but it was provided
that there should be plenty of time to prepare for anything which might
ensue. The point upon which Mrs. Goddard had not spoken plainly was that
which concerned her probable treatment of her husband after his
liberation. She had passed that question over in silence. She had
probably never dared to decide. Most probably she would at the last
minute seek some safer retreat than Billingsfield and make tip her mind
to hide for the rest of her life. But Mr. Juxon had heard of women who
had carried charity as far as to receive back their husbands under even
worse circumstances; women were soft-hearted creatures, reflected the
squire, and capable of anything.

Few people in such a situation could have acted consistently as though
nothing had happened. But Mr. Juxon's extremely reticent nature found it
easy to bury other people's important secrets at least as deeply as he
buried the harmless details of his own honest life. Not a hair of his
smooth head was ruffled, not a line of his square manly face was
disturbed. He looked and acted precisely as he had looked and acted
before. His butler remarked that he ate a little less heartily of late,
and that on one evening, as has been recorded, the squire forgot to
dress for dinner. But the butler in his day had seen greater
eccentricities than these; he had the greatest admiration for Mr. Juxon
and was not inclined to cavil at small things. A real gentleman, of the
good sort, who dressed for dinner when he was alone, who never took too
much wine, who never bullied the servants nor quarrelled unjustly with
the bills, was, as the butler expressed it, "not to be sneezed at, on
no account." The place was a little dull, but the functionary was well
stricken in years and did not like hard work. Mr. Juxon seemed to be
conscious that as he never had visitors at the Hall and as there were
consequently no "tips," his staff was entitled to an occasional fee,
which he presented always with great regularity, and which had the
desired effect. He was a generous man as well as a just.

The traffic in roses and