thunder, accompanied by
a vivid blue and orange blaze and afterwards complete silence and a
great calm. The storm now rolled onward, having spent itself in that
locality; but knowing from the sound that some place or object had been
struck, Ringfield stopped, stepped behind a mass of boulders and
juniper bushes and looked back down into the little hollow. The barn
was apparently uninjured but the noble pine had suffered. The ripping,
tearing sound he had heard was explained by the sight of a broad
orange-coloured strip or band that ran longitudinally from the top of
the tree to the bottom, indicating where the bark had been peeled off
by the force of the fierce current. As he stood gazing thus at the
seared and stricken pine, the door opened from the side of the barn and
Miss Clairville slowly stepped out, followed by a man in whom, with an
exclamation of extremest repulsion and surprise, Ringfield clearly
recognized Edmund Crabbe.

The shock of this and the full meaning of it set Ringfeld's nerves and
pulses tingling, and he stepped farther back into the shade as he
watched them. They advanced to the great pine, examined it, and he
could see that Crabbe's arm went around her waist. The guide himself
seemed, even at that distance, to be more neatly dressed than usual, he
wore a tweed cap with coat to match and did not look as if he had been
drinking, but as with him that was the sign that he was about at his
worst, Ringfield could only turn away in disgust and pursue his way to
Clairville. It was not a pleasant thought that Crabbe must have been
in the loft, while a somewhat tender scene had been enacted, and he
suddenly felt a contempt and pity for the woman who could play two men
at the same time in such barefaced fashion. Then, as lovers will, he
rebuked himself for this; perhaps Crabbe had taken refuge in the loft
without her knowledge, and the great final crash had brought him down;
perhaps she had known he was there, but was ashamed of producing him in
a semi-drunken condition, perhaps--then Ringfield saw the distant
lights of the Manor House and hastened towards them. A little farther
on he overtook the priest, leading Poussette's horse and buggy, and it
was not long before they were able to take off their wet clothes at
madame's fire and exchange confidences about the storm.

In the large kitchen were also Mr. and Mrs. Abercorn, Dr. Renaud and
Poussette, and the priest, who was naturally held accounta