"I have seen Colonel Mildmay," continued Mr. Fordham, after a confused pause. "If it can be any atonement to you to know how much he regrets all that has happened, so far as your family is concerned--how fully he exonerates Miss Vincent, who was all along deceived, and who would not have remained a moment with him had she not been forcibly detained. Mildmay declares she met with nothing but respect at his hands," continued the embarrassed advocate, lowering his voice; "he says----" "Enough has been said on the subject," said Vincent, restraining himself with a violent effort. "Yes--I beg your pardon, it is quite true--enough has been said," cried Fordham, with an appearance of relief. Here, at least, was one part of his difficult mediation over. "Mildmay will not," he resumed, after a pause, "tell me or any one else who it was that gave him his wound--that is a secret, he says, between him and his God--and another. Whoever that other may be," continued Fordham, with a quick look towards Mrs. Mildmay, "he is conscious of having wronged--him--and will take no steps against--him. This culprit, it appears, must be permitted to escape--you think so?--worse evils might be involved if we were to demand--his--punishment. Mr. Vincent, I beg you to take this into consideration. It could be no advantage to you; the innocent shall not suffer--but--the criminal--must be permitted to escape." "I do not see the necessity," said Vincent between his teeth. "No, no," said Mrs. Mildmay, suddenly. "Escape! who believes in escape? Mr. Vincent knows better. Hush, you are a happy man just now--you are not qualified to judge; but we know better. Escape!--he means from prisons, and such like," she continued, turning to Vincent with a half-disdainful wave of her hand towards her companion. "But you know, and so do I, that there is no escape--not in this world. I know nothing about the next," said the strange woman, curbing once more the flush of excitement which had overpowered her as she spoke--"nothing; neither do you, though you are a priest. But there is enough of retribution here. The criminal--Mr. Vincent--you know--will not escape."