s to work to get money to prevent my being made a bankrupt.
Now don't give me away, Steel."

"I'll say nothing. I suppose your wife knows that you were----"

"Of course. But she made me promise to give it up. Therefore you see I
can't take up the life again. But my advice to you--if you care to take
it--is to look after the governess, and leave the clerk alone. She is
guilty; he is not."

"I'll look after both," said Steel firmly, "after both Mr.--Bart."

Morley laughed. "Report to me all you do," he said, and this Steel
willingly promised.

CHAPTER VIII

THE IRONY OF FATE

Giles was slowly recovering from his illness, but as yet was unable to
leave his room. It was now over a month since the death of Daisy, and
during that time all matters connected therewith had been reported to
the invalid. Thus he knew of the funeral, of the verdict of the jury,
and of the search that was being made for Anne. Trim, who nursed his
young master--and he would not allow any one else to do so--day by day,
related all that was taking place. The man himself quite believed that
Miss Denham was guilty, but he did not offer this opinion to Ware,
knowing how keenly Giles felt the untoward tragedy.

The young squire could not bring himself to believe that Anne was
guilty. Appearances were against her, and he could not conceive what
excuse she could make for her flight with the lawyer's clerk. If she
were innocent, she had gone the best way to work up a feasible case
against her. But Giles was so deeply in love with her that the blacker
became her character in the mouths of the general public, the more
persistently he held to the belief that it was whiter than snow. Had he
been able he would have followed her, in order to persuade her to
return and face the worst with a frank story of the events of that
terrible night. But he was chained to his bed, and even had he been
sufficiently well, he could not have traced her whereabouts. Steel had
called to explain his doings, but not even he could guess where Anne was
to be found. And Giles rejoiced that this should be so.

"What's the news this morning, Trim?" he asked languidly.

"Mr. Morley has come to see you, sir. He is waiting below."

"I thought he had gone to Brighton with his wife and family?"

"He did go some days back," assented Trim, "but he returned, sir--so he
says--especially to see you."

"How very good of him! Ask him to come up."

"Are you strong enough, Maste