As they walked back towards the cottage, she spoke about Caleb Kersey, and the perilous position in which he was placed by the accusation of Coutts, supported as it was by the servant’s unintentionally exaggerated account of the prisoner’s conduct at the door of the Manor a few hours before the fire was discovered. She learned with satisfaction that Philip had not forgotten his unlucky foreman. ‘I have been to the court,’ he said, ‘and Caleb is remanded for a week, in order to collect further evidence as to his movements on that night, and to see how my father progresses.’ ‘How did he look? What did he say?’ ‘He looked as if he did not care what befell him; he said nothing more than that he was innocent, and I am sure of it. The poor fellow has been cruelly upset by Pansy’s conduct, and he has got into this scrape because he could not take warning in time that Coutts was too cautious a man to become his rival.’ ‘But will he be able to prove his innocence?’ ‘I hope so; and the next examination will enable us to form a clearer idea of his chances than we can at present. Coutts has had a slight disappointment in a business transaction, and is merciless towards Caleb. I suppose he is relieved to find some one to vent his spleen on.’ Philip smiled faintly, and she was glad to see even the least sign of his returning to his natural good-humoured way of viewing life. He did not explain to her that the business transaction in which Coutts had failed was his attempt to secure a snug place in Mr Shield’s will by ousting his brother. ‘Whatever we settle to do,’ Mr Shield had said with a shrewd twinkle in his eyes, and referring to Coutts, ‘don’t let that gentleman into our plans.’ Mr Beecham, with a grave bow, had acquiesced in this counsel, the wisdom of which Philip could not dispute, although he was not at the moment acquainted with the details of his brother’s design. ‘Don’t see the dodge?’ continued Shield brusquely. ‘It’s plain as daylight. He wanted to get you into a hole, reckoning that the rich uncle would give him your place. He expected that bill would do it; for if he didn’t know from the first that it was a forgery, he believed it was, and made sure of getting his own and more out of the rich relative somehow. But when he heard of things going wrong, and being sharp enough to see that other people had their eyes open as well as him, he got too anxious to hedge to be able to carry out his scheme as he intended. Didn’t quite miss his mark either, though’—this was uttered like a growl of disappointment—‘for, thanks to you, he has got his own; but he’ll get no more.’