e had been grabbed by an octopus. "On ma oath, your Leddyship.
Before ma God!"

"Andy, Andy! don't say such awful things," protested the girl. "You
know you married me secret because you said Helen wouldn't let you;"
and she sagged away again, half supporting herself on Mr. MacFie's
arm.

"Do you know anything of this woman?" demanded Lady Knob-Kerrick of
Miss MacFie.

Miss MacFie shook her head as if the question were an insult.

"Then it was a secret marriage." Lady Knob-Kerrick remembered what she
had heard of Mr. MacFie's conduct at the temperance fete. "Mr. MacFie,
you have--you have disgraced----"

"Your Leddyship, on ma honour, I sweear----!"

"Don't, Andy, don't!" said the girl, striving to put her hand over his
mouth. "Don't! God may strike you dead. He did it once, didn't He? Oh!
I've learnt the Bible," she added in a maudlin tone. "I can sing
hymns, I can." She began to croon something in a wheezy voice.

Mr. MacFie made a desperate effort to free himself from her clutches,
but succeeded only in bringing her to her knees.

"Look at 'im! Look at 'im!" shrieked the girl, "knocking me about,
what he swore to love, honour and obey. Oh, you devil, Andy! How you
used to behave, and now--and now----"

"I swear it's all a damned lee! It's ma enemy--ma enemy. Woman, I know
thee not! Thou art the scarlet woman of Babylon! Get thee from me, I
curse thee!" Mr. MacFie's Gaelic blood was up.

"Go it, sir!" said Bindle. "Go it!"

"Ye have come as the ravening wolf upon the sheep-fold at night to
destroy the lamb." Mr. MacFie waved his disengaged arm.

"You bein' the lamb, sir, go it!" said Bindle.

"I'll hae the law on ye, woman, I'll hae the law on ye! Ye impostor!
Ye harlot!! Ye daughter of Belial!!!" He flung his arm about, and his
eyes rolled with almost maniacal fury. "Ma God! ma God! Why
persecuteth Thou me?" he cried, lifting his eyes to the ceiling.

Then with a sudden drop to earthly things he appealed to Lady
Knob-Kerrick.

"Your Leddyship, your Leddyship, do not believe this woman. She lies!
She would ruin me!! I will have her arrested!!! Fetch the police!!!! I
demand the police!!!!!"

Lady Knob-Kerrick turned towards the door at the entrance of which
stood her footman.

"John, blow your police-whistle," she ordered, practical in all
things.

John disappeared. A moment later the raucous sound of a police-whistle
was heard in continuous blast.

"That's right!" shouted the woman, "that's r