‘I scarcely spoke of Mr. Peak to anyone,’ she added.  ’People saw, of course, that we were acquaintances, but it couldn’t have seemed a thing of any importance.’

‘You spoke with him in private, it seems?’

‘Yes, I saw him for a few minutes—­in Exeter.’

’And you hadn’t said anything to the Walworths that—­that would surprise them?’

‘Purposely not.—­Why should I injure him?’

Christian knit his brows.  He understood too well why his sister should refrain from such injury.

‘You would have behaved in the same way,’ Marcella added.

’Why really—­yes, perhaps so.  Yet I don’t know.—­In plain English, Peak is a wolf in sheep’s clothing!’

‘I don’t know anything about that,’ she replied, with gloomy evasion.

’Nonsense, my dear girl!—­Had he the impudence to pretend to you that he was sincere?’

‘He made no declaration.’

’But you are convinced he is acting the hypocrite, Marcella.  You spoke of the risk of injuring him.—­What are his motives?  What does he aim at?’

‘Scarcely a bishopric, I should think,’ she replied, bitterly.

‘Then, by Jove!  Earwaker may be right!’

Marcella darted an inquiring look at him.

‘What has he thought?’

’I’m ashamed to speak of it.  He suggested once that Peak might disguise himself for the sake of—­of making a good marriage.’

The reply was a nervous laugh.

‘Look here, Marcella.’  He caught her hand.  ’This is a very awkward business.  Peak is disgracing himself; he will be unmasked; there’ll be a scandal.  It was kind of you to keep silence—­when don’t you behave kindly, dear girl?—­but think of the possible results to us.  We shall be something very like accomplices.’

‘How?’ Marcella exclaimed, impatiently.  ’Who need know that we were so intimate with him?’

‘Warricombe seems to know it.’

‘Who can prove that he isn’t sincere?’

’No one, perhaps.  But it will seem a very odd thing that he hid away from all his old friends.  You remember, I betrayed that to Warricombe, before I knew that it mattered.’

Yes, and Mr. Warricombe could hardly forget the circumstance.  He would press his investigation—­knowing already, perhaps, of Peak’s approaches to his sister Sidwell.

’Marcella, a man plays games like that at his own peril.  I don’t like this kind of thing.  Perhaps he has audacity enough to face out any disclosure.  But it’s out of the question for you and me to nurse his secret.  We have no right to do so.’

‘You propose to denounce him?’

Marcella gazed at her brother with an agitated look.

’Not denounce.  I am fond of Peak; I wish him well.  But I can’t join him in a dishonourable plot.—­Then, we mustn’t endanger our place in society.’

‘I have no place in society,’ Marcella answered, coldly.