which is supremely important to me."

Sir David Forster looked at Gilbert Fenton curiously for a moment, and
then took up an empty meerschaum that lay upon a little table near him,
and began to fill it with a thoughtful air. Gilbert had dropped into an
arm-chair on the opposite side of the open window, and was watching the
baronet's face, puzzled a little by that curious transient expression
which had just flitted across it.

"What is the business?" Sir David asked presently; "and how can I be of
use to you?"

"I think you knew all about my engagement to Miss Nowell, when I was here
last September, Sir David," Gilbert began presently.

"Yes, Saltram told me you were engaged; not but what it was easy enough
to see how the land lay, without any telling."

"Miss Nowell has jilted me. I love her too dearly to be able to entertain
any vindictive feeling against her; but I do feel vindictively disposed
towards the man who has robbed me of her, for I know that only a very
powerful influence would have induced her to break faith with me; and
this man must needs have known the dishonourable thing he was doing when
he tempted her away from me. I want to know who he is, Sir David, and how
he came to acquire such an influence over my plighted wife."

"My dear Fenton, you are going on so fast! You say Miss Nowell has jilted
you. She is married to some one else, then, I suppose?"

"She is married to a Mr. Holbrook. I came to Lidford the night before