them cause to hate us, and since they are of the sort
that keep their word, only by our deaths can they become free, or, at
any rate, by mine? Well, it doesn't matter what you understand, you
little bigot, but I know what I do."

"I have done my duty," repeated Mr. Knight sullenly, "and I don't care
what happens afterwards. '_Fiat justita ruat coelum_,'" he added in the
Latin tag.

"Oh, yes. Justice may say fie and the sky may be rude, and anything
else may happen, but we've dished our lives and theirs, my friend,
and--damn you! get out of my sight. Rows I am accustomed to with Isobel
and others, but this isn't a row, it's an earthquake; it's a
catastrophe, for which I have to thank you. Lord! how my mouth hurts,
and I can't see out of my right eye. Talk of a mailed fist, that young
beggar has one like a pole-axe. Now I must go to telegraph to all those
people. Temporary indisposition, yes--temporary indisposition, that's
it. Good-bye, my holy friend. You won't do as much mischief in one day
again in a hurry, spy as hard as you like."

Then Sir John departed, nursing his cut lips with one hand and his
broken umbrella with the other.

Mr. Knight watched him go, and said to himself:

"I thought that I disliked the daughter, but the father is worse.
Offensive, purse-proud, vulgar beast! How dare he speak to me like
that! I'm glad, yes, I'm glad Godfrey knocked him down, though I
suppose there will be a scandal. Well, my hands are clean; I have done
my duty, and I must not complain if it is unpleasant, since I have
dragged Godfrey back from the mouth of the pit. I think I'll take a
walk to steady my nerves; it may be as well not to meet Godfrey again
just now."

CHAPTER XVII

INDIA

On his road to the house to pack his portmanteau Godfrey went a little
way round to arrange with a blacksmith, generally known as Tom, who
jobbed out a pony-trap, to drive him to the station to catch the 7.15
train. The blacksmith remarked that they would have to hurry, and set
to work to put the pony in, while Godfrey ran on to the Abbey House and
hurriedly collected his clothes. He got them packed and down into the
hall just as the trap arrived.

As he was entering it the servant put a letter into his hand which she
said had come for him by the afternoon post. He thrust it into his
pocket unlooked at, and off they went at the pony's best pace.

"You are going away oncommon quick, Master Godfrey. Coming back to
these parts so