Dick Hazlewood went quietly to her side and took her hand.

"I didn't interrupt you, Stella. I wanted you to tell everything now,
once for all, so that no one of us three need ever mention a word of
it again."

Stella looked at Dick Hazlewood in wonder, and then a light broke over
her face like the morning. His arm slipped about her waist and she leaned
against him suddenly weak, almost to swooning. Mr. Hazlewood started up
from his chair in consternation.

"But you heard her, Richard!"

"Yes, father, I heard her," he answered. "But you see Stella is my wife."

"Your--" Mr. Hazlewood's lips refused to speak the word. He fell back
again in his chair and dropped his face in his hands. "Oh, no!"

"It's true," said Dick. "I have rooms in London, you know. I went to
London last week. Stella came up on Monday. It was my doing, my wish.
Stella is my wife."

Mr. Hazlewood groaned aloud.

"But she has tricked you, Richard," and Stella agreed.

"Yes, I tricked you, Dick. I did," she said miserably, and she drew
herself from his arm. But he caught her hand.

"No, you didn't." He led her over to his father. "That's where you both
make your mistake. Stella tried to tell me something on the very night
when we walked back from this house to her cottage and I asked her to
marry me. She has tried again often during the last weeks. I knew very
well what it was--before you turned against her, before I married her.
She didn't trick me."

Mr. Hazlewood turned in despair to Henry Thresk.

"What do you say?" he asked.

"That I am very glad you asked me here to give my advice on your
collection," Thresk answered. "I was inclined yesterday to take a
different view of your invitation. But I did what perhaps I may suggest
that you should do: I accepted the situation."

He went across to Stella and took her hands.

"Oh, thank you," she cried, "thank you."

"And now"--Thresk turned to Dick--"if I might look at a _Bradshaw_ I
could find out the next train to London."

"Certainly," said Dick, and he went over to the writing-table. Stella and
Henry Thresk were left alone for a moment.

"We shall see you again," she said. "Please!"

Thresk laughed.

"No doubt. I am not going out into the night. You know my address. If you
don't ask Mr. Hazlewood. It's in King's Bench Walk, isn't it?" And he
took the time-table from Dick Hazlewood's hand.

THE END

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Witness For The Defense, by A.E