“You hardly, I dare say,” she pursued—­“how should you after the commanding positions you have occupied?—­appreciate the feelings of the inhabitants of this quiet country parish towards you.  But they have a lively sense, believe me, of the honour you confer upon them, all and severally—­I am speaking of the educated classes in particular, of course—­by residing among them.  They admire and reverence you so much, so genuinely; and they have extended great kindness to me as a member of your household.  How can I be indifferent to it?  I am thankful, Sir Charles, I am grateful—­the more so that I have the happiness of knowing I owe the consideration with which I am treated, in Deadham, entirely to you.—­Yes, yes,” she cried in rising exaltation, “I do not deny that I went to Harchester yesterday—­went—­Dr. Horniblow thus expressed it when inviting me—­’as representing The Hard.’  I was away when Damaris made this ill-judged excursion across the river to the Bar.  Had she confided her intention to me, I should have used my authority and forbade her.  But recently we have not been, I grieve to say, on altogether satisfactory terms, and our parting yesterday was constrained, I am afraid.”

Theresa blushed and swallowed.  Fortunately her sense of humour was limited; but, even so, she could not but be aware of a dangerous decline.  Not only of bathos, but of vulgar bathos, from which gentility revolted, must she be the exponent, thanks to Damaris’ indiscretion!

“You require me to give you the details, Sir Charles,” she resumed, “and although it is both embarrassing and repugnant to me to do so, I obey.  I fear Damaris so far forgot herself—­forgot I mean what is due to her age and position—­as to remove her shoes and stockings and paddle in the sea—­a most unsuitable and childish occupation.  While she was thus engaged her things—­her shoes and stockings—­appear to have been stolen.  In any case she was unable to find them when tired of the amusement she came up on to the beach.  Moreover she was caught in the rain.  And I deeply regret to tell you—­but I merely repeat what I learned from Mary Fisher and Mrs. Cooper when I returned—­it was not till after dark, when the maids had become so alarmed that they despatched Tolling and Alfred to search for her, that Damaris landed from a boat at the breakwater, having been brought down the river—­by—­by”—­

Throughout the earlier portion of her recital Charles Verity stood in the same place and same attitude staring down at the tiger skin.  Twice or thrice only he raised his eyes, looking at the speaker with a flash of arrogant interrogation.