In these days the old Squire made many changes in his residence, vacillating between his house in Cambridge and the house at Folking.  His books were at Cambridge, and he could not have them brought back; and yet he felt that he ought to evince his constancy to his son, his conviction of his son’s innocence, by remaining at Folking.  And he was aware, too, that his presence there was a comfort both to his son and Hester.  When John Caldigate had gone up to London, his father had been in Cambridge, but on his return he found the old Squire at his old house.  ‘Yes,’ he said, telling the story of what he had just done, ’I have paid twenty thousand pounds out of hand to those rascals, simply because I thought I owed it to them!’ The Squire shook his head, not being able to approve of the act.’  I don’t see why I should have allowed myself to be hindered from doing what I thought to be right because they were doing what they knew to be wrong.’

‘They won’t go, you know.’

‘I daresay not, sir.  Why should they?’

‘But the jury will believe that you intended to purchase their absence.’

‘I think I have made all that clear.’

’I am afraid not, John.  The man applied to you for the money, and was refused.  That was the beginning of it.  Then the application was repeated by the woman with a threat; and you again refused.  Then they present themselves to the magistrates, and make the accusation; and, upon that, you pay the money.  Of course it will come out at the trial that you paid it immediately after this renewed application from Bollum.  It would have been better to have defied them.’

‘I did defy them,’ said John Caldigate.  But all that his father said seemed to him to be true, so that he repented himself of what he had done.

He made no inquiry on the subject, but, early in May he heard from Mr. Seely that Crinkett and the woman were still in London, and that they had abandoned the idea of going at once to Australia.  According to Mr. Seely’s story,—­of the truth of which he declared himself to be by no means certain,—­Crinkett had wished to go, but had been retained by the woman.  ‘As far as I can learn,’ said Mr. Seely, ’she is in communication with the Boltons, who will of course keep her if it be possible.  He would get off if he could; but she, I take it, has got hold of the money.  When you made the cheque payable to her order, you effectually provided for their remaining here.  If he could have got the money without her name, he would have gone, and she would have gone with him.’

‘But that was not my object,’ said Caldigate angrily.  Mr. Seely thereupon shrugged his shoulders.  Early in June the man came back who had been sent out to Sydney in February on behalf of Caldigate.  He also had been commissioned to seek for evidence, and to bring back with him, almost at any cost, whatever witness or witnesses he might find whose presence in England would serve Caldigate’s cause.