“Clare and the shepherd fellow,” he said, “are lovers. Yes, it is as I tell you. They have been lovers for many months, perhaps for many years. They were in the habit of meeting on the Downs,--I don’t know how often,--frequently,--perhaps every day. I can’t tell. Since Clare has been married to me they had not, so far as I know, met at all. She has only seen Lovel’s brother,--the simpleton. He has come over to Starvecrow to see her. I don’t know what he has said to her. I can only suppose that he engineered their meeting. All I can tell you is that three evenings ago she went out, as she said, to look at the night, and has not since returned.” “Three evenings ago!” exclaimed Warrener. “But I knew nothing of all this.” “No,” said Calladine wearily, “I gave strict orders that you were not to be told. I thought she would come back, you see. But as she has not come back, I cannot keep it a secret from you any longer. We must take some action, I suppose, if you think it necessary. Or shall we leave them to themselves. If any one is capable of looking after her, Lovel is the man. And he knows the Downs,--they both know the Downs,--surely the Downs wouldn’t hurt them?” Mr. Warrener took no notice of this pitiable cry wrung suddenly out of his anxiety. “Of course we must search for them,” he said, frightened and bewildered and angry. “But,--really this is a most extraordinary story,--how do you _know_ she has gone with young Lovel? Clare!” he said, indignant, “whom I trusted to wander about at will,--to deceive me in this fashion!--but she never came to any harm, whilst she was under my care,--no, not until _you_ were responsible for her. Upon my word, sir, you’ve fulfilled your charge very badly,--what excuse have you to give to me?” “You let her grow up into a wild thing,--the blame’s with you as much as with me,--and as to responsibility, she’s my wife even if she _is_ your daughter.” “Well, well,” said Mr. Warrener, relapsing into his customary mildness, “it won’t help matters if you and I start wrangling. But tell me now, what makes you so certain she has gone with this ... his name positively sticks in my throat,--this shepherd fellow?”