put in Isabel quickly, and knelt again; "my husband will
not hurt where I have pardoned!" Rapidly she unloosed the strap
about Leicester's ankles and stood up. "Now hold out your hands,"
she said.

He held them out. She looked him in the face, and a sudden tide of
shame forced her to cover her own. In the silence her husband
stepped to her side. His eyes were steady upon Leicester now.

"How could you? How could you?" she murmured.

Then, dragging--as it were--her hands down to the task, she unbuckled
the strap around his wrist and pointed to the door.

Said Miss Belcher, "So two women have shown you mercy to-night,
George Leicester!"

He went, without any swagger. His face was white. Miss Belcher and
the Rector drew back as though he carried a disease, and let him
pass. At the door he turned and his eyes, with a kind of miserable
raillery in them, challenged Archibald Plinlimmon.

"Yes, you are right." The young man took a step towards him.
"Between us two there is a word to be said." He turned on us
abruptly. "I have been afraid of that man--yes, afraid. To say this
out, and before Isabel, costs me more courage than to thrash him.
Through fear of him I have been a villain. Worse wrong than I did to
my wife--worse in its consequences--I could not do: you know it, all
of you; and I must go now and tell it to her father. I did it
unknowingly, by this man's contrivance; but not in any fear of him.
What I did in fear, and knowingly, was worse in another way--worse in
intention. I tell you that but for an accident I might--I might
have--" He stammered and came to a halt. "No, I cannot tell it
yet," he muttered half defiantly, with a shy look at the Rector.
"But this I can tell"--and his voice rose--"that no fear of _him_
stays me. You? I have your secret now. You have none of mine I
dare not meet. You may go: you have my wife's pardon, it seems.
I do not understand it, but you have mine--with this caution.
You are my superior officer. If to-morrow, outside of the ranks, you
dare to say a word to me, I promise to strike you on the mouth
before the regiment, and afterwards to tell the whole truth of us
both, and take what punishment may befall."

So he too pointed towards the door. Leicester bowed and went from us
into the night.

"That's all very well," groaned Mr. Rogers, "but I'll have to resign
my commission of the peace."

"If it's retiring from active service you mean," said Miss Bel