looked keenly and inscrutably at him。
7。 ONE TO TWO A。M。
Manston went homeward alone； his heart full of strange emotions。
Entering the house； and dismissing the woman to her own home； he at
once proceeded upstairs to his bedroom。
Reasoning worldliness； especially when allied with sensuousness；
cannot repress on some extreme occasions the human instinct to pour
out the soul to some Being or Personality； who in frigid moments is
dismissed with the title of Chance； or at most Law。 Manston was
selfishly and inhumanly； but honestly and unutterably； thankful for
the recent catastrophe。 Beside his bed； for that first time during
a period of nearly twenty years； he fell down upon his knees in a
passionate outburst of feeling。
Many minutes passed before he arose。 He walked to the window； and
then seemed to remember for the first time that some action on his
part was necessary in connection with the sad circumstance of the
night。
Leaving the house at once； he went to the scene of the fire；
arriving there in time to hear the rector making an arrangement with
a certain number of men to watch the spot till morning。 The ashes
were still red…hot and flaming。 Manston found that nothing could be
done towards searching them at that hour of the night。 He turned
homeward again； in the company of the rector； who had considerately
persuaded him to retire from the scene for a while； and promised
that as soon as a man could live amid the embers of the Three
Tranters Inn； they should be carefully searched for the remains of
his unfortunate wife。
Manston then went indoors； to wait for morning。
XI。 THE EVENTS OF FIVE DAYS
1。 NOVEMBER THE TWENTY…NINTH
The search began at dawn； but a quarter past nine o'clock came
without bringing any result。 Manston ate a little breakfast； and
crossed the hollow of the park which intervened between the old and
modern manor…houses； to ask for an interview with Miss Aldclyffe。
He met her midway。 She was about to pay him a visit of condolence；
and to place every man on the estate at his disposal； that the
search for any relic of his dead and destroyed wife might not be
delayed an instant。
He accompanied her back to the house。 At first they conversed as if
the death of the poor woman was an event which the husband must of
necessity deeply lament； and when all under this head that social
form seemed to require had been uttered； they spoke of the material
damage done； and of the steps which had better be taken to remedy
it。
It was not till both were shut inside her private room that she
spoke to him in her blunt and cynical manner。 A certain newness of
bearing in him； peculiar to the present morning； had hitherto
forbidden her this tone： the demeanour of the subject of her
favouritism had altered； she could not tell in what way。 He was
entirely a changed man。
'Are you really sorry for your poor wife； Mr。 Manston？' she said。
'Well； I am；' he answered shortly。
'But only as for any human being who has met with a violent death？'
He confessed it'For she was not a good woman；' he added。
'I should be sorry to say such a thing now the poor creature is
dead；' Miss Aldclyffe returned reproachfully。
'Why？' he asked。 'Why should I praise her if she doesn't deserve
it？ I say exactly what I have often admired Sterne for saying in
one of his lettersthat neither reason nor Scripture asks us to
speak nothing but good of the dead。 And now； madam；' he continued；
after a short interval of thought； 'I may； perhaps； hope that you
will assist me； or rather not thwart me； in endeavouring to win the
love of a young lady living about you； one in whom I am much
interested already。'
'Cytherea！'
'Yes； Cytherea。'
'You have been loving Cytherea all the while？'
'Yes。'
Surprise was a preface to much agitation in her； which caused her to
rise from her seat； and pace to the side of the room。 The steward
quietly looked on and added； 'I have been loving and still love
her。'
She came close up to him； wistfully contemplating his face； one hand
moving indecisively at her side。
'And your secret marriage was； then； the true and only reason for
that backwardness regarding the courtship of Cytherea； which； they
tell me； has been the talk of the village； not your indifference to
her attractions。' Her voice had a tone of conviction in it； as well
as of inquiry； but none of jealousy。
'Yes；' he said； 'and not a dishonourable one。 What held me back was
just that one thinga sense of morality that perhaps； madam； you
did not give me credit for。' The latter words were spoken with a
mien and tone of pride。
Miss Aldclyffe preserved silence。
'And now；' he went on； 'I may as well say a word in vindication of
my conduct lately； at the risk； too； of offending you。 My actual
motive in submitting to your order that I should send for my late
wife； and live with her； was not the mercenary policy of wishing to
retain an office which brings me greater comforts than any I have
enjoyed before； but this unquenchable passion for Cytherea。 Though
I saw the weakness； folly； and even wickedness of it continually； it
still forced me to try to continue near her； even as the husband of
another woman。'
He waited for her to speak： she did not。
'There's a great obstacle to my making any way in winning Miss
Graye's love；' he went on。
'Yes； Edward Springrove；' she said quietly。 'I know it； I did once
want to see them married； they have had a slight quarrel； and it
will soon be made up again； unless' she spoke as if she had only
half attended to Manston's last statement。
'He is already engaged to be married to somebody else；' said the
steward。
'Pooh！' said she； 'you mean to his cousin at Peakhill； that's
nothing to help us； he's now come home to break it off。'
'He must not break it off；' said Manston； firmly and calmly。
His tone attracted her； startled her。 Recovering herself； she said
haughtily； 'Well； that's your affair； not mine。 Though my wish has
been to see her YOUR wife； I can't do anything dishonourable to
bring about such a result。'
'But it must be MADE your affair；' he said in a hard； steady voice；
looking into her eyes； as if he saw there the whole panorama of her
past。
One of the most difficult things to portray by written words is that
peculiar mixture of moods expressed in a woman's countenance when；
after having been sedulously engaged in establishing another's
position； she suddenly suspects him of undermining her own。 It was
thus that Miss Aldclyffe looked at the steward。
'Youknowsomethingof me？' she faltered。
'I know all；' he said。
'Then curse that wife of yours！ She wrote and said she wouldn't
tell you！' she burst out。 'Couldn't she keep her word for a day？'
She reflected and then said； but no more as to a stranger； 'I will
not yield。 I have committed no crime。 I yielded to her threats in
a moment of weakness； though I felt inclined to defy her at the
time： it was chiefly because I was mystified as to how she got to
know of it。 Pooh！ I will put up with threats no more。 O； can YOU
threaten me？' she added softly； as if she had for the moment
forgotten to whom she had been speaking。
'My love must be made your affair；' he repeated； without taking his
eyes from her。
An agony； which was not the agony of being discovered in a secret；
obstructed her utterance for a time。 'How can you turn upon me so
when I schemed to get you hereschemed that you might win her till
I found you were married。 O； how can you！ O！。 。 。 O！' She wept；
and the weeping of such a nature was as harrowing as the weeping of
a man。
'Your getting me here was bad policy as to your secretthe most
absurd thing in the world；' he said； not heeding her distress。 'I
knew all； except the identity of the individual； long ago。 Directly
I found that my coming here was a contrived thing； and not a matter
of chance； it fixed my attention upon you at once。 All that was
required was the mere spark of life； to make of a bundle of
perceptions an organic whole。'
'Policy； how can you talk of policy？ Think； do think！ And how can
you threaten me when you knowyou knowthat I would befriend you
readily without a threat！'
'Yes； yes； I think you would；' he said more kindly； 'but your
indifference for so many； many years has made me doubt it。'
'No； not indifference'twas enforced silence。 My father lived。'
He took her hand； and held it gently。
* * *
'Now listen；' he said； more quietly and humanly； when she had become
calmer： 'Springrove must marry the woman he's engaged to。 You may
make him； but only in one way。'
'Well： but don't speak sternly； AEneas！'
'Do you know that his father has not been particularly thriving for
the last two or three years？'
'I have heard something of it； once or twice； though his rents have
been promptly paid； haven't they？'
'O yes； and do you know the terms of the leases of the houses which
are burnt？' he said； explaining to her that by those terms she might
compel him even to rebuild every house。 'The case is the clearest
case of fire by negligence that I have ever known； in addition to
that；' he continued。
'I don't want them rebuilt； you know it was intended by my father；
directly they fell in； to clear the site for a new entrance to the
park？'
'Yes； but that doesn't affect the position； which is that Farmer
Springrove is in your power to an extent which is very serious for
him。'
'I won't do it'tis a conspiracy。'
'Won't you for me？' he said eagerly。
Miss Aldclyffe changed colour。
'I don't threaten now； I implore；' he said。
'Because you might threaten if you chose；' she mournfully answered。
'But why be sowhen your marriage with her was my own pet idea long
before it was yours？ What must I do？'
'Scarcely anything： simply this。 When I have seen old Mr。
Springrove； which I shall do in a day or two； and told him that he
will be expected to rebuild the houses； do you see the young man。
See him yourself； in order that the proposals made may not appear to
be anything more than an impulse of your own。 You or he will bring
up the subject of the houses。 To r