Sylvia went on very wearily.  “The box was kept in a cupboard in the room he was sleeping in.  The rest was quite easy.  He left the key behind him in the lock.  I found it after you and Burke had gone to the Merstons’.  I guessed what had happened of course.  I went round to his hut, but it was all fastened up as usual.  Then I went to Piet Vreiboom’s.”  She shuddered suddenly.  “I saw Kieff as well as Vreiboom.  They seemed hugely amused at my appearance, and told me Guy was just ahead on the way to Brennerstadt.  It was too late to ride the whole way, so I went to Ritzen, hoping to find him there.  But I could get no news of him, so I came on by train in the morning.  I ought to have got here long ago, but the engine broke down.  We were held up for hours, and so I arrived—­too late.”

The utter dreariness of her speech went straight to Kelly’s heart.  “Ah, there now—­there now!” he said.  “If I’d only known I’d have followed and helped ye that night.”

“You see, I didn’t know you were coming back,” she said.  “And anyhow I couldn’t have waited.  I had to start at once.  It was—­my job.”  She smiled faintly, a smile that was sadder than tears.

“And do ye know what happened?” said Kelly.  “Did Burke tell ye what happened?”

She shook her head.  “No.  He told me very little.  I suppose he concluded that we had run away together.”

“Ah no!  That wasn’t his doing,” said Kelly, paused a moment, then plunged valiantly at the truth.  “That was mine.  I thought so meself—­foul swine as ye may very well call me.  Kieff told me so—­the liar; and I—­like a blasted fool—­believed it.  At least, no, I didn’t right at the heart of me, Mrs. Ranger.  I knew what ye were, just the same as I know now.  But I’d seen ye look into his eyes when ye begged him off the brandy-bottle, and I knew the friendship between ye wasn’t just the ordinary style of thing; no more is it.  But it was that devil Kieff that threw the mud.  I found him waiting that night when I got back.  He was waiting for Burke, he said; and his story was that he and Vreiboom had seen the pair of ye eloping.  I nearly murdered him at the time.  Faith, I wish I had!” ended Kelly pathetically, with tears in his eyes.  “It would have stopped a deal of mischief both now and hereafter.”

“Never mind!” said Sylvia gently.  “You couldn’t tell.  You hadn’t known me more than a few hours.”

“It was long enough!” vowed Kelly.  “Anyway, Burke ought to have known better.  He’s known you longer than that.”

“He has never known me,” she said quietly.  “Of course he believed the story.”

“He doesn’t believe it now,” said Kelly quickly.