and made the motion of striking a blow with her clenched fist.  For the first time in my experience of her—­I hope it was my fancy—­I thought I saw her smile.  Mr. Speedwell took me out.  ’They are well matched in that house,’ he said.  ‘The woman is as complete a savage as the men.’  The carriage which I had seen waiting at the door was his.  He called it up, and politely offered me a place in it.  I said I would only trespass on his kindness as far as to the railway station.  While we were talking, Hester Dethridge followed us to the door.  She made the same motion again with her clenched hand, and looked back toward the garden—­and then looked at me, and nodded her head, as much as to say, ’He will do it yet!’ No words can describe how glad I was to see the last of her.  I hope and trust I shall never set eyes on her again!”

“Did you hear how Mr. Speedwell came to be at the house?  Had he gone of his own accord? or had he been sent for?”

“He had been sent for.  I ventured to speak to him about the persons whom I had seen in the garden.  Mr. Speedwell explained everything which I was not able of myself to understand, in the kindest manner.  One of the two strange men in the garden was the trainer; the other was a doctor, whom the trainer was usually in the habit of consulting.  It seems that the real reason for their bringing Geof frey Delamayn away from Scotland when they did, was that the trainer was uneasy, and wanted to be near London for medical advice.  The doctor, on being consulted, owned that he was at a loss to understand the symptoms which he was asked to treat.  He had himself fetched the great surgeon to Fulham, that morning.  Mr. Speedwell abstained from mentioning that he had foreseen what would happen, at Windygates.  All he said was, ’I had met Mr. Delamayn in society, and I felt interest enough in the case to pay him a visit—­with what result, you have seen yourself.’”

“Did he tell you any thing about Delamayn’s health?”

“He said that he had questioned the doctor on the way to Fulham, and that some of the patient’s symptoms indicated serious mischief.  What the symptoms were I did not hear.  Mr. Speedwell only spoke of changes for the worse in him which a woman would be likely to understand.  At one time, he would be so dull and heedless that nothing could rouse him.  At another, he flew into the most terrible passions without any apparent cause.  The trainer had found it almost impossible (in Scotland) to keep him to the right diet; and the doctor had only sanctioned taking the house at Fulham, after being first satisfied, not only of the convenience of the garden, but also that Hester Dethridge could be thoroughly trusted as a cook.  With her help, they had placed him on an entirely new diet.  But they had found an unexpected difficulty even in doing that.  When the trainer took him to the new lodgings, it turned out that he had seen Hester Dethridge at Windygates, and had taken the strongest prejudice against her.  On seeing her again at Fulham, he appeared to be absolutely terrified.”