His tone had become a little dry and bitter, his aspect gray.

Sir James surveyed him a moment—­pondering.

“You will find plenty of ways out, Oliver—­plenty!  The sympathy of all the world will be with you.  You have won a beautiful and noble creature.  She has been brought up under a more than Greek fate.  You will rescue her from it.  You will show her how to face it—­and how to conquer it.”

A tremor swept across Marsham’s handsome mouth.  But the perplexity and depression in the face remained.

Sir James had a slight consciousness of rebuff.  But it disappeared in his own emotion.  He resumed: 

“She ought to be told the story—­perhaps with some omissions—­at once.  Her mother”—­he spoke with a slow precision, forcing out the words—­“was not a bad woman.  If you like, I will break it to Miss Mallory.  I am probably more intimately acquainted with the story than any one else now living.”

Something in the tone, in the solemnity of the blue eyes, in the carriage of the gray head, touched Marsham to the quick.  He laid a hand on his old friend’s shoulder—­affectionately—­in mute thanks.

“Diana mentioned her father’s solicitors—­”

“I know”—­interrupted Sir James—­“Riley & Bonner—­excellent fellows—­both of them still living.  They probably have all the records.  And I shouldn’t wonder if they have a letter—­from Sparling.  He must have made provision—­for the occasion that has now arisen.”

“A letter?—­for Diana?”

Sir James nodded.  “His behavior to her was a piece of moral cowardice, I suppose.  I saw a good deal of him during the trial, of course, though it is years now since I lost all trace of him.  He was a sensitive, shy fellow, wrapped up in his archaeology, and very ignorant of the world—­when it all happened.  It tore him up by the roots.  His life withered in a day.”

Marsham flushed.

“He had no right to bring her up in this complete ignorance!  He could not have done anything more cruel!—­more fatal!  No one knows what the effect may be upon her.”

And with a sudden rush of passion through the blood, he seemed to hold her once more in his arms, he felt the warmth of her cheek on his; all her fresh and fragrant youth was present to him, the love in her voice, and in her proud eyes.  He turned away, threw himself into a chair, and buried his face in his hands.

Sir James looked down upon him.  Instead of sympathy, there was a positive lightening in the elder man’s face—­a gleam of satisfaction.

“Cheer up, old fellow!” he said, in a low voice.  “You’ll bring her through.  You stand by her, and you’ll reap your reward.  By Gad, there are many men who would envy you the chance!”