"Of course not, my dear; and it is such a pity. Such a nice wedding as she might have had, and made it a regular `at home,' to pay off all the people round I'd quite made up my mind about my dress." "Oh, I'm glad of that," said Wilton, with a grim smile. "Nothing like being well prepared for the future. Have you quite made up your mind about your dress when I pop off? Crape, of course?" "James, my darling, you shouldn't. How can you say such dreadful things?" "You make me--being such a fool." "James!" "Hold your tongue, do. Yes, I must have inquiries made." "But do you feel quite sure that they have eloped like that?" "Oh, yes," he said, thoughtfully; "there's no doubt about it." "I don't know, my dear," said Mrs Wilton, plaintively. "It seems so strange, when she was so ill and in such trouble." "Bah! Sham! Like all women, kicking up a row about the first kiss, and wanting it all the time." "James, my dear, you shouldn't say such things. It was no sham. She was in dreadful trouble, I'm sure, and I cannot help thinking about the pike pond. It haunts me--it does indeed. Don't you think that in her agony she may have gone and drowned herself?" "Yes, that's it," said Wilton, with a scowl at his wife. "Oh! Horrible! I was having dreadful dreams all last night. You do think so, then?" "Yes, you've hit it now, old lady. She must have jumped down from her window on to the soft flower-bed, and then gone and fetched the ladder, and put it up there, and afterwards gone and called Claud to come down and go hand in hand with her, so as to have company." "Jumped down--the ladder--what did she want a ladder for, James, dear?" "What do people want ladders for? Why, to come down by." "But she was down, dear. I--I really don't know what you mean. You confuse me so. But, oh, James, dear, you don't mean that about Claud?" "Why not? Depend upon it, they're at the bottom of that hole where the pig was drowned, and the pike are eating bits out of them." "James!--Oh, what a shame! You're laughing at me." "Laughing at you? You'd make a horse laugh at you. Such idiocy. Be quiet if you can. Don't you see how worried and busy I am? And look here--if anyone calls out of curiosity, you don't know anything. Refer 'em to me." "Yes, my dear. But really it is very shocking of the young people. It's almost immoral. But you think they will get married directly?" "Trust Claud for that. Fancy the jade going off in that way. Ah, they're all alike." "No, James; I would sooner have died than consented to such a proceeding." "Not you. Now be quiet." "Going out, dear?" "Only round the house for a few minutes. By the way, have you examined Eliza--asked her what Kate has taken with her?" "Yes, dear. Nothing at all but her hat, scarf, and cloak. Such a shabby way of getting married." "Never mind that," said Wilton; and he went into the hall, through the porch and on to the place where the ladder had been found.