'I don't know why you think it necessary to say all this,' said Lucy, in a low voice.
'I tried to resign myself. You've always worshipped strength, and I understood that you must think Alec MacKenzie very wonderful. I had little enough to offer you when I compared myself with him. I hoped against hope that you weren't in love with him.'
'Well?'
'Except for that letter in this morning's paper I should never have dared to say anything to you again. But that changes everything.'
He paused once more. Though he tried to seem so calm, his heart was beating furiously. He really loved Lucy with all his soul, and he was doing what seemed to him a plain duty.
'I ask you again if you'll be my wife.'
'I don't understand what you mean,' she said slowly.
'You can't marry Alec MacKenzie now.'
Lucy flung back her head. She grew very pale.
'You have no right to talk to me like this,' she said. 'You really presume too much upon my good nature.'
'I think I have some right. I'm the only man who's related to you at all, and I love you.'
They saw that Lady Kelsey wanted to speak, and Lucy turned round to her.
'I think you should listen to him, Lucy. I'm growing old, and soon you'll be quite alone in the world.'
The simple kindness of her words calmed the passions of the other two, and brought down the conversation to a gentler level.
'I'll try my best to make you a good husband, Lucy,' said Bobbie, very earnestly. 'I don't ask you to care for me; I only want to serve you.'
'I can only repeat that I'm very grateful to you. But I can't marry you, and I shall never marry you.'
Boulger's face grew darker, and he was silent.
'Are you going to continue to know Alec MacKenzie?' he asked at length.
'You have no right to ask me such a question.'
'If you'll take the advice of any unprejudiced person about that letter, you'll find that he'll say the same as I. There can be no shadow of a doubt that the man is guilty of a monstrous crime.'
'I don't care what the evidence is,' said Lucy. 'I know he can't have done a shameful thing.'
'But, good God, have you forgotten that it's your own brother whom he killed!' he cried hotly. 'The whole country is up in arms against him, and you are quite indifferent.'
'Oh, Bobbie, how can you say that?' she wailed, suddenly moved to the very depths of her being. 'How can you be so cruel?'
He went up to her, and they stood face to face. He spoke very quickly, flinging the words at her with indignant anger.
'If you cared for George at all, you must wish to punish the man who caused his death. At least you can't continue to be his'--he stopped as he saw the agony in her eyes, and changed his words--'his greatest friend. It was your doing that George went to Africa at all. The least thing you can do is to take some interest in his death.'
She put up her hands to her eyes, as though to drive away the sight of hateful things.
'Oh, why do you torment me?' she cried pitifully. 'I tell you he isn't guilty.'
'He's refused to answer anyone. I tried to get something out of him, but I couldn't, and I lost my temper. He might give you the truth if you asked him pointblank.'
'I couldn't do that.'
'Why not?'
'It's very strange that he should insist on this silence,' said Lady Kelsey. 'One would have thought if he had nothing to be ashamed of, he'd have nothing to hide.'
'Do you believe that story, too?' asked Lucy.
'I don't know what to believe. It's so extraordinary. Dick says he knows nothing about it. If the man's innocent, why on earth doesn't he speak?'
'He knows I trust him,' said Lucy. 'He knows I'm proud to trust him. Do you think I would cause him the great pain of asking him questions?'
'Are you afraid he couldn't answer them?' asked Boulger.
'No, no, no.'
'Well, just try. After all you owe as much as that to the memory of George. Try.'
'But don't you see that if he won't say anything, it's because there are good reasons,' she cried distractedly. 'How do I know what interests are concerned in the matter, beside which the death of George is insignificant....'
'Do you look upon it so lightly as that?'
She turned away, bursting into tears. She was like a hunted beast. There seemed no escape from the taunting questions.
