John started forward in his chair and looked intently at Goddard’s face.

“My name is Short,” he answered mechanically.  But the passing flash of intelligence was already gone, and Goddard’s look became a glassy and idiotic stare.  Still his lips moved.  John came nearer and listened.

“Mary Goddard!  Mary Goddard!  Let me in!” said the sick man quite intelligibly, in spite of his uncertain tone.  John uttered an exclamation of astonishment; his heart beat fast and he listened intently.  The sick man mumbled inarticulate sounds; not another word could be distinguished.  John looked for the bell, thinking that Mr. Juxon should be informed of the strange phenomenon at once; but before he could ring the squire himself entered the room, having finished and despatched his note to Mr. Ambrose.

“It is most extraordinary,” said John.  “He spoke just now—­”

“What did he say?” asked Mr. Juxon very quickly.

“He said first, ‘Who are you?’ and then he said ’Mary Goddard, let me in!’ Is it not most extraordinary?  How in the world should he know about Mrs. Goddard?”

The squire turned a little pale and was silent for a moment.  He had left John with the wounded man feeling sure that, for some time at least, the latter would not be likely to say anything intelligible.

“Most extraordinary!” he repeated presently.  Then he looked at Goddard closely, and turned him again upon his back and put his injured hand beneath the sheet.

“Do you understand me?  Do you know who I am?” he asked in a loud tone close to his ear.

But the unfortunate man gave no sign of intelligence, only his inarticulate mumbling grew louder though not more distinct.  Mr. Juxon turned away impatiently.

“The fellow is in a delirium,” he said.  “I wish the doctor would come.”  He had hardly turned his back when the man spoke again.

“Mary Goddard!” he cried.  “Let me in!”

“There!” said John.  “The same words!”

Mr. Juxon shuddered, and looked curiously at his companion; then thrust his hands into his pockets and whistling softly walked about the room.  John was shocked at what seemed in the squire a sort of indecent levity; he could not understand that his friend felt as though he should go mad.

Indeed the squire suffered intensely.  The name of Mary Goddard, pronounced by the convict in his delirium brought home more vividly than anything could have done the relation between the wounded tramp and the woman the squire loved.  It was positively true, then—­there was not a shadow of doubt left, since this wretch lay there mumbling her name in his ravings!  This was the husband of that gentle creature with sad pathetic eyes, so delicate, so refined that it seemed as though the coarser breath of the world of sin and shame could never come near her—­this was her husband!  It was horrible.  This was the father of lovely Nellie, too.  Was anything wanting to make the contrast more hideous?