Rachel pointed to a chair.  He took it, crossed one knee over the other, rested his arm on the table near, and watched her with a sneering smile, while she seated herself.

He broke the silence.

“I confess you were very clever about Dick Tanner—­and I was a precious fool!  I never suspected.”

“I have not the least idea what you mean.”

“A lie!” he said, impetuously.  “You were in Dick Tanner’s house—­staying with him alone—­at night—­after I left you.  You were seen there—­by a man—­a Canadian—­from whom I had the story—­only two days ago.  He doesn’t know my name, nor I his.  We met on the common, two nights ago, after dark.  And by the merest chance he was coming to the farm, and he began to talk of you.  Then this came out.  But of course I always knew that it—­or something like it—­would come out.  Your puritanical airs never deceived me—­for a moment.”

“I suppose you are talking of John Dempsey?” The scorn in her voice enraged him.

“I know nothing about John Dempsey.  Of course I can track the man who told me, if I want to—­with the greatest ease.  He was coming here to call.  He saw either you or your partner.  And I shall track him—­if you force me.”

She was silent—­and he smiled.

“Assume, please, that I have my witness at hand.  Well, then, he saw you alone—­at night—­in Dick Tanner’s charge, a few days apparently, after you and I quarrelled.  What were you doing there?”

“It was during that great snowstorm, I suppose,” she said, in her most ordinary voice, taking up her knitting.  “I remember going over to the Tanners’ to ask for something—­and being snow-bound.  Lucy Tanner was always ready to help me—­and be sorry for me.”

At this he laughed out, and the note of the laugh dismayed her.

“Lucy Tanner?  Yes, that’s good.  I thought you’d play her!  Now, I’ll tell you something.  The day after I left you, I was on the train going to Regina.  We stopped a long time.  I don’t remember why—­at Medicine Hat—­and walking up and down the platform was—­Lucy Tanner!  Does that surprise you?  She told me she couldn’t stand the Manitoba climate, and was going to a friend at Kamloops for the winter.  Is that news to you?”

Rachel had turned white, but he saw no other sign of discomposure.

“Not at all.  Naturally, I went over expecting to find her.  But as you say, she was gone, and Mr. Tanner drove me back, when the storm went down.”

Then she threw down her knitting and faced him.

“What’s the use of talking like this, Roger?  You won’t make anything out of this story you’re so proud of.  Hadn’t you better come to business?  Why have you been spying on me, and dogging me like this?  You know, of course, I could give you in charge to-morrow, or I could get Captain Ellesborough to do it.  And I will—­unless you give me your solemn promise to leave this place, to go out of my life altogether, and stop molesting me in this scandalous way.  Now, of course, I understand who it is that has been prowling about the farm all these weeks.  And I warn you the police too know all about it, and are on the watch.  They may have tracked you here to-night for all I know.”