She ran on, but he stopped her, for he knew his number was up by now and didn’t see no use in piling up no more agony for any of ’em.

“Listen!” he shouted out, so as the woods over against ’em echoed with the roar of his big voice.  “Listen to me, the pair of you, and be done.  I can’t hear no more, because there’s higher things on earth than love of woman.  I’m paid—­I’m paid the nation’s money, you understand, to do my duty.  I’m paid my wages by the State, and I’ve made an oath afore God Almighty to do what I’ve undertaken to do to the best of my human power.  And I’ve catched a man doing evil, and I’ve got to take him to justice if all the angels in heaven prayed me to let him free.”

“If the angels in heaven be more to ’e than her you’ve called an angel on earth, Samuel,” answered back Cicely, “then be it so.  I understand now the worth of all you’ve said—­and swore also; but your oath to the police stands higher than your oaths to me seemingly, so there’s no call to waste no more of your time, nor yet mine.  Only know this:  if my father sleeps in clink to-night, I’ll never wed you, nor look at you again, so help me, God!  And now what about it?”

“Think twice,” he said, walking very close to her and looking in her beautiful eyes.  “Think twice, my dear heart.”

But she shook her head and he only see tears there full of moonshine.

“No need to think twice,” she answered.  “You know me, Samuel.”

He heaved a hugeous sigh then and looked at the waiting man.  Chawner was swinging his pheasant by the legs and regarding ’em standing up together.  But he said nought.

Then Samuel turned and beckoned Mr. Green with a policeman’s nod that can’t be denied.  And Chawner followed after him like a dog, while Cicely went in the house and slammed home the door behind her.

Not a word did either man utter on their tramp to the station; but there they got at last, and the lights was burning and Inspector Chowne, whose night duty it happed to be, was sitting nodding at his desk.  And when Sam stood before him and in a very disordered tone of voice brought the sad news of how the Inspector’s brother-in-law had been took red-handed coming out of Trusham, a strange and startling thing followed.  For, to the boy’s amazement, Inspector Chowne leapt from his seat with delight, and first he shook Chawner’s hand so hearty as need be and then he shook Sam’s fist likewise; and Chawner, the fox that he was, showed a lot of emotion and his voice failed him and he shook Samuel by the hand also!  In fact, ’twas all so contrary to law and order, and reason also, that Samuel stared upon the elder men and prayed the scene was a nightmare and that he’d wake up in his bed any minute.

And then the Inspector spoke.