Sir David Forster!  He had little doubt after this that the strangers at the Grange had been Marian and her husband.  Treachery, blackest treachery somewhere.  He had questioned Sir David, and had received his positive assurance that this man Holbrook was unknown to him; and now, against that there was the fact that the baronet was the owner of a place in Hampshire, to be taken in conjunction with that other fact that a place in Hampshire had been lent to Mr. Holbrook by a friend.  At the very first he had been inclined to believe that Marian’s lover must needs be one of the worthless bachelor crew with which the baronet was accustomed to surround himself.  He had only abandoned that notion after his interview with Sir David Forster; and now it seemed that the baronet had deliberately lied to him.  It was, of course, just possible that he was on a false scent after all, and that it was to some other part of the country Mr. Holbrook had brought his bride; but such a coincidence seemed, at the least, highly improbable.  There was no occasion for him to remain in doubt very long, however.  At the Grange he must needs be able to obtain more definite information.

CHAPTER XVI.

FACE TO FACE.

Gilbert Fenton left the homely little post-office and turned into the lane leading to Golder’s-green—­a way which may have been pleasant enough in summer, but had no especial charm at this time.  The level expanse of bare ploughed fields on each side of the narrow road had a dreary look; the hedges were low and thin; a tall elm, with all its lower limbs mercilessly shorn, uplifted its topmost branches to the dull gray sky, here and there, like some transformed prophetess raising her gaunt arms in appeal or malediction; an occasional five-barred gate marked the entrance to some by-road to the farm; on one side of the way a deep black-looking ditch lay under the scanty shelter of the low hedge, and hinted at possible water rats to the traveller from cities who might happen to entertain a fastidious aversion to such small deer.

The mile seemed a very long one to Gilbert Fenton.  Since his knowledge of Sir David Forster’s ownership of the house to which he was going, his impatience was redoubled.  He had a feverish eagerness to come at the bottom of this mystery.  That Sir David had lied to him, he had very little doubt.  Whoever this Mr. Holbrook was, it was more likely that he should have escaped the notice of Lidford people as a guest at Heatherly than under any other circumstances.  At Heatherly it was such a common thing for strangers to come and go, that even the rustic gossips had left off taking much interest in the movements of the Baronet or his guests.  There was one thought that flashed suddenly into Gilbert’s mind during that gloomy walk under the lowering gray sky.