He asked for Miss
Barrington and her niece, and when he heard that his comrade was
recovering sensibility, sat down looking very grave.
"I have something to tell you, but Courthorne must not know until he
is better, while I'm not sure that we need tell him then," he said.
"In the meanwhile, I am also inclined to fancy it would be better
kept from Colonel Barrington on his return. It is the first time
anything of the kind has happened at Silverdale, and it would hurt
him horribly, which decided us to come first to you."
"You must be more concise," said Miss Barrington; quietly, and Dane
trifled with the hat in his hand.
"It is," he said, "a most unpleasant thing, and is known to three men
only, of whom I am one. We have also arranged that nobody else will
chance upon what we have discovered. You see, Ferris is
unfortunately connected with you, and his people have had trouble
enough already."
"Ferris?" said Maud Barrington, with a sudden hardening of her face.
"You surely don't mean--"
Dane nodded. "Yes," he said reluctantly. "I'm afraid I do. Now, if
you will listen to me for a minute or two."
He told his story with a grim, convincing quietness, and the blood
crept into the girl's cheeks as she followed his discoveries step by
step. Glancing at her aunt, she saw that there was horror as well as
belief in the gentle lady's face.
"Then," she said, with cold incisiveness, "Ferris cannot stay here,
and he shall be punished.
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