He looked at her piercingly. "_Answer!_"

"I heard it", she said with a stubborn nod, quite pallid.

He turned upon her a stare of displeasure; but in that second they
heard a shouting down the village, ran to the front, and saw heaven
all like cancer and cracked window-panes, for from a central plash
of passion the shattered asteroid had shot long-lingering ribbons of
lilac light over the bowl of the sky.




X

ISAAC


On the Tuesday was the inquest on the murdered Mephibosheth; ending
in a verdict of wilful murder against some person unknown.

The same night at nine Frankl had Hogarth's two guns from Margaret
on the towing-path, she now well inveigled into his net, and under
his commands.

"I want you", he said, "to meet me-here again on Thursday night, at
7.30".

"But you will tell one why, I suppose!"