He pressed her hand, too much disturbed to think of the singular way in which she spoke.  Then the vehicle stopped.  Denzil assisted his companion to alight, and, whilst she was opening the house-door, bade the coachman go up and down till he was summoned.  Then he sprang after Mrs. Wade, learnt from her where Lilian was, and at once tried to enter the sitting-room.  The door was locked.

“Lily!” he called, in a low voice.  “Open, dear!  It is I!”

The key turned rapidly.  He rushed in, and clasped Lilian in his arms.  She could not utter a word, but clung to him sobbing and wailing.

“Don’t!—­don’t, dear girlie!  Try to be quiet—­try to command yourself.”

“Can you do anything?” she uttered at length.  “Is there any hope?”

“What do you wish, Lily, dearest?  What shall I do?”

The common sense of manliness urged him to put no such questions, to carry her away without a word, save of tender devotion, to escape with her into quietness, and let all else go as it would.  But Mrs. Wade’s warning had impressed him deeply.  It went with his secret inclination; for, at this stage of the combat, to lose all his aims would be a bitter disappointment.  Rethought of the lifelong ostracism, and feared it in a vague way.

“Mrs. Wade thinks he can be persuaded to leave us alone,” Lilian replied, hurriedly, using simple words which made her seem childlike, though at the same moment she was nerving herself to heroic effort.  “See him, and do what you can, Denzil.  I did my utmost, dear.  Oh, this cruel chance that brought him here!”

She would have given years of her life to say “Sacrifice all, and let us go!” He seemed even to invite her to say it, but she strove with herself.  Sacrifice of his career meant sacrifice of the whole man.  Not in her eyes, oh no!—­but she had studied him so well, and knew that he could no longer be content in obscurity.  She choked her very soul’s desire.

“Shall I try to buy him off, Lily?”

“Do try, darling!”

“But can you face what will come afterwards—­the constant risks?”

“Anything rather than you shall be ruined!”

A syllable would have broken down her heroism.  It was on his tongue.  He had but to say “Ruin!—­what do I care for ruin in that sense?” and she would have cried with delight.  But he kept it back.

“Sit down and wait for me.  I will go and see him.”

One more embrace, and he left her.  Mrs. Wade was talking with Northway in the dining-room, talking hurriedly and earnestly.  She heard Quarrier’s step and came to the door.

“In here?” Denzil asked.

She nodded and came out.  Then the door closed behind him.