"What else?" quoth he, and turned abruptly to confront her.

"Mistress Horton was.., was with me," she panted, her voice quivering as
on the brink of tears.

"`Tis unfortunate you should have separated," he condoled.

"But.., but, Mr. Wilding, I ... I trusted to your honour. I accounted
you a gentleman. Surely... surely, sir, you will not let it be known
that... I came to you? You will keep my secret?"

"Secret!" said he, his eyebrows raised. "`Tis already the talk of the
servants' hall. By to-morrow `twill be the gossip of Bridgwater."

Air failed her Her blue eyes fixed him in horror out of her stricken
face. Not a word had she wherewith to answer him.

The sight of her, thus, affected him oddly. His passion for her surged
up, aroused by pity for her plight, and awakened in him a sense of his
brutality. A faint flush stirred in his cheeks. He stepped quickly to
her, and caught her hand. She let it lie, cold and inert, within his
nervous grasp.

"Ruth, Ruth!" he cried, and his voice was for once unsteady. "Give it
no thought! I love you, Ruth. If you'll but heed that, no breath of
scandal can hurt you.

She swallowed hard. "As how?" she asked mechanically.

He bowed low over her hand - so low that his face was hidden from her.