“What is the business?” Sir David asked presently; “and how can I be of use to you?”

“I think you knew all about my engagement to Miss Nowell, when I was here last September, Sir David,” Gilbert began presently.

“Yes, Saltram told me you were engaged; not but what it was easy enough to see how the land lay, without any telling.”

“Miss Nowell has jilted me.  I love her too dearly to be able to entertain any vindictive feeling against her; but I do feel vindictively disposed towards the man who has robbed me of her, for I know that only a very powerful influence would have induced her to break faith with me; and this man must needs have known the dishonourable thing he was doing when he tempted her away from me.  I want to know who he is, Sir David, and how he came to acquire such an influence over my plighted wife.”

“My dear Fenton, you are going on so fast!  You say Miss Nowell has jilted you.  She is married to some one else, then, I suppose?”

“She is married to a Mr. Holbrook.  I came to Lidford the night before last, with the hope of finding out something about him; but all my endeavours have resulted in failure.  It struck me at last, as a kind of forlorn hope, that this Mr. Holbrook might possibly be one of your autumnal visitors; and I came here to ask you that question.”

“No,” answered the baronet; “I have had no visitor called Holbrook.  Is the name quite strange to yourself?”

“Entirely strange.”

“And this Mr. Holbrook is now Miss Nowell’s husband? and you want to know who he is?  With what end?”

“I want to find the man who has done me the deadliest wrong one man can do another.”

“My dear fellow, don’t you see that it is fate, and not Mr. Holbrook, that has done you this wrong?  If Miss Nowell had really loved you as she ought to have loved you, it would have been quite impossible for her to be tempted away from you.  It was her destiny to marry this Holbrook, rely upon it; and had you been on the spot to protect your own interests, the result would have been just the same.  Believe me, I am very sorry for you, and can fully sympathise with your feelings in this business; but I cannot see what good could possibly arise out of a meeting between you and your fortunate rival.  The days of duelling are past; and even if it were not so, I think you are too generous to seek to deprive Miss Nowell of her husband.”

“I do not know about that.  There are some wrongs which all a man’s Christianity is not wide enough to cover.  I think if that man and I were to meet, there would be very little question of mercy on my side.  I hold a man who could act as he has acted unworthy of all consideration—­utterly unworthy of the woman he has won from me.”

“My dear fellow, you know the old saying.  A man who is in love thinks everything fair.  There is no such thing as honour in such a case as this.  Of course, I don’t want to defend this Holbrook; I only want to awaken your senses to the absurdity of any vindictive pursuit of the man.  If the lady did not love you, believe me you are well out of the business.”