urned away again sharply.

"Hubert," she said again, "I was not born a Catholic, and I do not feel
like Mr. Buxton. And--and I do thank you for coming; and for your desire
to repair the house; and--and will you give my love to Grace?"

Then he suddenly turned to her with such passion in his eyes that she
shrank back. At the same moment the groom brought up the horses; he
turned and mounted without a word, but his eyes were dim with love and
anger and jealousy. Then he drove his spurs into his great grey mare, and
Isabel watched him dash between the iron gates, with his groom only half
mounted holding back his own plunging horse. Then she went within doors
again.

CHAPTER V

JOSEPH LACKINGTON

It was a bitter ride back to Great Keynes for Hubert. He had just
returned from watching the fifty vessels, which were all that were left
of the Great Armada, pass the Blaskets, still under the nominal command
of Medina Sidonia, on their miserable return to Spain; and he had come
back as fast as sails could carry him, round the stormy Land's-End up
along the south coast to Rye, where on his arrival he had been almost
worshipped by the rejoicing townsfolk. Yet all through his voyage and
adventures, at any rate since his interview with her at Rye, it had been
the face of Isabel there, and not of Grace, that had glimmered to him in
the dark, and led him from peril to peril. Then, at last, on his arrival
at home, he had heard of the disaster to the Dower House, and his own
unintended share in it; and of Isabel's generous visit to his wife; and
at that he had ordered his horse abruptly over-night and ridden off
without a word of explanation to Grace on the following morning. And he
had been met by a sneering man who would not sit at table with him, and
who was the protector and friend of Isabel.

* * * *

He rode up through the village just after dark and in through the
gatehouse up to the steps. A man ran to open the door, and as Hubert came
through told him that a stranger had ridden down from London and had
arrived at mid-day, and that he had been waiting ever since.

"I gave the gentleman dinner in the cloister parlour, sir; and he is at
supper now," added the man.

Hubert nodded and pushed through the hall. He heard his name called
timidly from upstairs, and looking up saw his wife's golden head over the
banisters