The suggestion seemed a good one.  ’Yes, there will be time before the train starts,’ said Owen.

Edward had been musing restlessly.

’Let me go to Southampton in your place, on account of your lameness?’ he said suddenly to Graye.

’I am much obliged to you, but I think I can scarcely accept the offer,’ returned Owen coldly.  ’Mr. Manston is an honourable man, and I had much better see him myself.’

‘There is no doubt,’ said Mr. Raunham, ’that the death of his wife was fully believed in by himself.’

‘None whatever,’ said Owen; ’and the news must be broken to him, and the question of other proofs asked, in a friendly way.  It would not do for Mr. Springrove to appear in the case at all.’  He still spoke rather coldly; the recollection of the attachment between his sister and Edward was not a pleasant one to him.

‘You will never find them,’ said Edward.  ’You have never been to Southampton, and I know every house there.’

‘That makes little difference,’ said the rector; ’he will have a cab.  Certainly Mr. Graye is the proper man to go on the errand.’

’Stay; I’ll telegraph to ask them to meet me when I arrive at the terminus,’ said Owen; ’that is, if their train has not already arrived.’

Mr. Raunham pulled out his pocket-book again.  ’The two-thirty train reached Southampton a quarter of an hour ago,’ he said.

It was too late to catch them at the station.  Nevertheless, the rector suggested that it would be worth while to direct a message to ‘all the respectable hotels in Southampton,’ on the chance of its finding them, and thus saving a deal of personal labour to Owen in searching about the place.

‘I’ll go and telegraph, whilst you return to the man,’ said Edward —­an offer which was accepted.  Graye and the rector then turned off in the direction of the porter’s cottage.

Edward, to despatch the message at once, hurriedly followed the road towards the station, still restlessly thinking.  All Owen’s proceedings were based on the assumption, natural under the circumstances, of Manston’s good faith, and that he would readily acquiesce in any arrangement which should clear up the mystery.  ‘But,’ thought Edward, ’suppose—­and Heaven forgive me, I cannot help supposing it—­that Manston is not that honourable man, what will a young and inexperienced fellow like Owen do?  Will he not be hoodwinked by some specious story or another, framed to last till Manston gets tired of poor Cytherea?  And then the disclosure of the truth will ruin and blacken both their futures irremediably.’

However, he proceeded to execute his commission.  This he put in the form of a simple request from Owen to Manston, that Manston would come to the Southampton platform, and wait for Owen’s arrival, as he valued his reputation.  The message was directed as the rector had suggested, Edward guaranteeing to the clerk who sent it off that every expense connected with the search would be paid.