’Marriage not contested.  You knew of her being in that place?—­I can’t describe it.’

‘Your ladyship will pardon me?’

London’s frontier of barbarism was named for him again, and in a tone to penetrate.

He refrained from putting the question of how she had come there.

As iron as he looked, he said:  ‘She stays there by choice.’

The great lady tapped her foot on the floor.

‘You are not acquainted with the district.’

‘One of my men comes out of it.’

’The coming out of it ! . . .  However, I understand her story, that she travelled from a village inn, where she had been left-without resources.  She waited weeks; I forget how many.  She has a description of maid in attendance on her.  She came to London to find her husband.  You were at the mines, we heard.  Her one desire is to meet her husband.  But, goodness!  Fleetwood, why do you frown?  You acknowledge the marriage, she has the name of the church; she was married out of that old Lord Levellier’s house.  You drove her—­I won’t repeat the flighty business.  You left her, and she did her best to follow you.  Will the young men of our time not learn that life is no longer a game when they have a woman for partner in the match!

You don’t complain of her flavour of a foreign manner?  She can’t be so very . . .  Admiral Baldwin’s daughter has married her brother; and he is a military officer.  She has germs of breeding, wants only a little rub of the world to smooth her.  Speak to the point:—­do you meet her here?  Do you refuse?’

‘At present?  I do.’

‘Something has to be done.’

‘She was bound to stay where I left her.’

‘You are bound to provide for her becomingly.’

‘Provision shall be made, of course.’

‘The story will . . . unless—­and quickly, too.’

I know, I know!’

Fleetwood had the clang of all the bells of London chiming Whitechapel at him in his head, and he betrayed the irritated tyrant ready to decree fire and sword, for the defence or solace of his tender sensibilities.

The black flash flew.

’It ‘s a thing to mend as well as one can,’ Lady Arpington said.  ’I am not inquisitive:  you had your reasons or chose to act without any.  Get her away from that place.  She won’t come to me unless it ’s to meet her husband.  Ah, well, temper does not solve your problem; husband you are, if you married her.  We’ll leave the husband undiscussed:  with this reserve, that it seems to me men are now beginning to play the misunderstood.’

‘I hope they know themselves better,’ said Fleetwood; and he begged for the name and number of the house in the Whitechapel street, where she who was discernibly his enemy, and the deadliest of enemies, had now her dwelling.

Her immediate rush to that place, the fixing of herself there for an assault on him, was a move worthy the daughter of the rascal Old Buccaneer; it compelled to urgent measures.  He, as he felt horribly in pencilling her address, acted under compulsion; and a woman prodded the goad.  Her mask of ingenuousness was flung away for a look of craft, which could be power; and with her changed aspect his tolerance changed to hatred.