“Of course I would not, Morna; no decent Christian would, I should hope!  But do you mean to tell me that Mrs. Steel has been tried for something?”

“Yes; and by Justice Gibson!”

“Poor thing,” said Hugh Woodgate, after a pause.

Morna took his hand.

“My dear, she is, or rather she was, Mrs. Minchin!”

“What!  The woman who was tried for murdering her husband?”

“Yes—­and acquitted.”

“Good heavens!” exclaimed the vicar, and for a minute that was all.  “Well,” he continued, “I didn’t read the case, and I am glad that I didn’t, but I remember, of course, what was said about it at the time.  But what does it matter what is said?  I imagine the jury knew what they were about; they listened to the evidence for a week, I believe, which other people read in a few minutes.  Of course they knew best!  But how long have you known this, Morna?”

“Never until this afternoon; there was no reason why I should.”

“Of course there was not.”

“Then you agree with me, Hugh?”

And Morna was transfigured.

“Of course I agree with you!  But I want to know more.  Do you mean to tell me that a woman of education and ability, who calls herself a Christian, like Mrs. Venables, has actually backed out of this dinner-party on this account, and asked others to do the same?”

“She certainly asked me, point-blank,” said Morna.  “And when I refused, and persisted in my refusal, she flounced out in a rage, and must have cut you dead next minute.”

“Incredible!” exclaimed Woodgate.  “I mean, she must have had some further reason.”

“Oh, but she had!  I forgot to tell you in my anxiety to know what you thought.  She came to me straight from Normanthorpe, where they had insulted her as she had never been insulted in her life before!”

“Who?  Steel or his wife?”

“Mr. Steel, I fancy.  Mrs. Venables had no name bad enough for him, but she brought it on herself, and I think more of him than I ever did before.  You know that Mrs. Vinson, the Invernesses’ new agent’s wife?”

“I do.  Langholm took her into dinner the night we dined at Upthorpe, and she was in the offing yesterday when Mrs. Steel was talking to the judge.”

“Exactly!  It appears that it was Mrs. Vinson who first suspected something, the very night you mention; and yesterday her suspicions were confirmed to her own satisfaction.  At all events she felt justified in mentioning them to Mrs. Venables, who instantly drove over to ask Rachel to her face if there was any truth in the rumor that she was or had been Mrs. Minchin.”

“Well?”

“Rachel told her it was perfectly true.”

“Good!”

“And then the fat was in the fire; but what happened exactly it was impossible to gather from Mrs. Venables.  I never saw a woman so beside herself with rage.  She came in incoherent, and went out inarticulate!  From the things she said of him, I could only guess that Mr. Steel had come upon the scene and insulted her as she deserved to be insulted.  But I would give a good deal to know what did happen.”