Norval smiled at the note and clutched it close. How trustingly it had been left. And Donelle was safe with the Longville’s. There was a gleam of comfort in the blackness. Norval walked to the kitchen and took two glasses of milk. He then went upstairs, changed his wet clothes, came down, extinguished the light and, with cap drawn over his face, hands plunged in his heavy coat pockets, set forth in the drizzle on the three-mile walk to Longville’s. Before he reached the house he paused. What had his wife told them? Did he dare present himself? He stood still on the road to consider. Just then Marcel came to the door, candle in hand, and spoke to the Captain, who was behind her in the room. "It’s queer that that Mrs. Norval don’t come back, Captain. I wonder if she’s lost. I wonder if we oughtn’t to set out and look her up?" "Like as not she’s found Mam’selle and Donelle more to her taste. You told her how to reach them, didn’t you? She’s safe enough. Her kind hates water as a cat does, she’s under shelter. Mam’selle will look after her, try to keep her like as not, now that she’s out for business." "It’s early for the boarding season, anyway," murmured Marcel, going within, "too early by far." "I must go back to Gavot’s!" thought Norval, and turned wearily to retrace his way over the wet, slimy road. It was nearly nine when he reached Tom’s place and he was just in time to see Gavot come out of the house with bowed head and stumbling step. He went close and spoke before Tom realized that any one was near. "Gavot, in heaven’s name, have you seen Donelle Morey?" Tom reeled back against a tree. "You dare come here?" he growled under his breath. "Damn you!" "Hold on, Gavot, you’re too big a fellow to judge a man unheard. I know things are black against me; I’m going to try to explain. It’s your due and I can trust your common sense. Can we go inside and have it out?" "No, I want none like you to enter my house." "Then you shall hear what I have to say here." Norval drew nearer. "Not so fast, you!" Tom warned him off. "Answer me a few questions first, no talk, just plain answers. Then we’ll argue about the rest, I’m thinking. Is your name what you’ve held it to be, Richard Alton?" "No, Gavot——" "Are you a married man?" "Gavot, in God’s name, let me——" "Answer me, or I swear I’ll try to kill you." "Don’t be an ass, Gavot." "Have you a wife?" "Yes, but——" "And you made a girl love you, with all this in your soul? Well, she came to me, curse you, before—before much harm was done. When she heard what she heard this morning, her eyes were opened and she came where she rightfully belonged. Donelle came to me! She told me, and we were married an hour ago. I’ve always wanted her, she knew that, and when she knew about you, she came to her senses." "You lie!" Norval made a movement toward Gavot, but Tom stayed him.