“I was struck dumb with astonishment at the sight “ ‘I was sure that you would trust me,’ she cried, of her; but my emotions were nothing to those which with a great sigh of relief. ‘It shall be just as you wish.
showed themselves upon her face when our eyes met. Come away—oh, come away up to the house.’
She seemed for an instant to wish to shrink back in- “Still pulling at my sleeve, she led me away from side the house again; and then, seeing how useless all the cottage. As we went I glanced back, and there was concealment must be, she came forward, with a very that yellow livid face watching us out of the upper white face and frightened eyes which belied the smile window. What link could there be between that crea-upon her lips. ture and my wife? Or how could the coarse, rough “ ‘Ah, Jack,’ she said, ‘I have just been in to see if I woman whom I had seen the day before be connected can be of any assistance to our new neighbors. Why with her? It was a strange puzzle, and yet I knew that do you look at me like that, Jack? You are not angry my mind could never know ease again until I had with me?’ solved it.
“ ‘So,’ said I, ‘this is where you went during the “For two days after this I stayed at home, and my night.’ wife appeared to abide loyally by our engagement,
for, as far as I know, she never stirred out of the house.
“ ‘What do you mean?’ she cried.
On the third day, however, I had ample evidence that
“ ‘You came here. I am sure of it. Who are these her solemn promise was not enough to hold her back people, that you should visit them at such an hour?’ from this secret influence which drew her away from “ ‘I have not been here before.’ her husband and her duty.
“ ‘How can you tell me what you know is false?’ I “I had gone into town on that day, but I returned cried. ‘Your very voice changes as you speak. When by the 2.40 instead of the 3.36, which is my usual train.
have I ever had a secret from you? I shall enter that As I entered the house the maid ran into the hall with cottage, and I shall probe the matter to the bottom.’ a startled face.
“ ‘No, no, Jack, for God’s sake!’ she gasped, in “ ‘Where is your mistress?’ I asked. uncontrollable emotion. Then, as I approached the “ ‘I think that she has gone out for a walk,’ she door, she seized my sleeve and pulled me back with answered. convulsive strength. “My mind was instantly filled with suspicion. I “ ‘I implore you not to do this, Jack,’ she cried. ‘I rushed upstairs to make sure that she was not in the swear that I will tell you everything some day, but house. As I did so I happened to glance out of one of nothing but misery can come of it if you enter that the upper windows, and saw the maid with whom cottage.’ Then, as I tried to shake her off, she clung to I had just been speaking running across the field in me in a frenzy of entreaty. the direction of the cottage. Then of course I saw ex-actly what it all meant. My wife had gone over there, “ ‘Trust me, Jack!’ she cried. ‘Trust me only this
and had asked the servant to call her if I should re-
once. You will never have cause to regret it. You know
turn. Tingling with anger, I rushed down and hurried
that I would not have a secret from you if it were not
across, determined to end the matter once and forever.
for your own sake. Our whole lives are at stake in this.
I saw my wife and the maid hurrying back along the
If you come home with me, all will be well. If you
lane, but I did not stop to speak with them. In the cot-
force your way into that cottage, all is over between
tage lay the secret which was casting a shadow over
us.’
my life. I vowed that, come what might, it should
“There was such earnestness, such despair, in her be a secret no longer. I did not even knock when I manner that her words arrested me, and I stood irres- reached it, but turned the handle and rushed into the olute before the door. passage.
“ ‘I will trust you on one condition, and on one “It was all still and quiet upon the ground floor. In condition only,’ said I at last. ‘It is that this mystery the kitchen a kettle was singing on the fire, and a large comes to an end from now. You are at liberty to pre- black cat lay coiled up in the basket; but there was no serve your secret, but you must promise me that there sign of the woman whom I had seen before. I ran into shall be no more nightly visits, no more doings which the other room, but it was equally deserted. Then I are kept from my knowledge. I am willing to forget rushed up the stairs, only to find two other rooms those which are passed if you will promise that there empty and deserted at the top. There was no one at shall be no more in the future.’ all in the whole house. The furniture and pictures