‘That will do, Mr Bozzle,’ said Trevelyan.

‘Shall I call again, Mr Trewillian?’

‘No; yes.  I’ll send to you, when I want you.  You shall hear from me.’

’I suppose I’d better be keeping my eyes open about the Colonel’s place, Mr Trewillian?’

’For God’s sake, Trevelyan, do not have anything more to do with this man!’

‘That’s all very well for you, Mr S.,’ said Bozzle.  ’The lady ain’t your wife.’

‘Can you imagine anything more disgraceful than all this?’ said Stanbury.

‘Nothing; nothing; nothing!’ answered Trevelyan.

‘And I’m to keep stirring, and be on the move?’ again suggested Bozzle, who prudently required to be fortified by instructions before he devoted his time and talents even to so agreeable a pursuit as that in which he had been engaged.

‘You shall hear from me,’ said Trevelyan.

’Very well very well.  I wish you good-day, Mr Trewillian.  Mr S., yours most obedient.  There was one other point, Mr Trewillian.’

‘What point?’ asked Trevelyan, angrily.

‘If the lady was to join the Colonel—­’

‘That will do, Mr Bozzle,’ said Trevelyan, again jumping up from his chair.  ‘That will do.’  So saying, he opened the door, and Bozzle, with a bow, took his departure.  ’What on earth am I to do?  How am I to save her?’ said the wretched husband, appealing to his friend.

Stanbury endeavoured with all his eloquence to prove that this latter piece of information from the spy must be incorrect.  If such a letter had been written by Mrs Trevelyan to Colonel Osborne, it must have been done while he, Stanbury, was staying at the Clock House.  This seemed to him to be impossible; but he could hardly explain why it should be impossible.  She had written to the man before, and had received him when he came to Nuncombe Putney.  Why was it even improbable that she should have written to him again?  Nevertheless, Stanbury felt sure that she had sent no such letter.  ’I think I understand her feelings and her mind,’ said he; ’and if so, any such correspondence would be incompatible with her previous conduct.’  Trevelyan only smiled at this or pretended to smile.  He would not discuss the question; but believed implicitly what Bozzle had told him in spite of all Stanbury’s arguments.  ‘I can say nothing further,’ said Stanbury.

’No, my dear fellow.  There is nothing further to be said, except this, that I will have my unfortunate wife removed from the decent protection of your mother’s roof with the least possible delay.  I feel that I owe Mrs Stanbury the deepest apology for having sent such an inmate to trouble her repose.’

‘Nonsense!’

‘That is what I feel.’

’And I say that it is nonsense.  If you had never sent that wretched blackguard down to fabricate lies at Nuncombe Putney, my mother’s repose would have been all right.  As it is, Mrs Trevelyan can remain where she is till after Christmas.  There is not the least necessity for removing her at once.  I only meant to say that the arrangement should not be regarded as altogether permanent.  I must go to my work now.  Goodbye.’