In one part she was dizzy and overcome with the shaking at her brain; in the other she was listening to Percival and worse beset at every word. "I have seen her," he said, "I have seen her to-night. They are forcing her to this. They have arranged it for years--arranged it! Bought her and sold her because he is what he is. Aunt Maggie, she loved me for myself. He comes in! he comes in! he comes in! and takes her because he is Lord Burdon." The shaking at her brain pitched suddenly to a tensest balance like a machine that rattles up to action then tunes to a level spinning. "He is not Lord Burdon!" she said. He was silent but he did not heed her. "He is not Lord Burdon!" At her repetition he moved quickly in his seat and relaxed his hands. "Oh, why say that? Why say that?" "You are Lord Burdon!" He let her hands go and pressed his own again to his head. "Can you only talk like that when you see me suffering?" She rose to her feet. "Percival! Percival, listen to me. It is true. It is what I have kept for you these years. It is what I have meant when I told you I had something for you. You are Lord Burdon!" He also stood. "Are you mad, Aunt Maggie? Are you mad?" She staggered back against the wall. While he stared at her as he questioned her sanity, while she saw the look in his eyes as he asked her, there came to her with a shock of sudden fear, as to one that has released a wild and mighty thing and shudders to have done it, the words Japhra had said: "Mistress, beware lest thou betrayest him!" He came swiftly to her and roughly caught her. "Are you mad? What is this?" She recovered herself. "Do you know that box in your room?" The locked box was an old joke of his. "What has that to do with it?" "The proofs are there. You shall see." "Show me," he said, his voice not to be recognised for any he had spoken with. "Show me!" She steadied herself against a chair, and steadying herself by all her hand came against as she walked, went across the room to the stairs, he following. There came at that moment a loud knock upon the outer door. He went dazedly to it and stared with unattending eyes at one who stood there, the light shining on his heavy waterproof coat that streamed with rain. It was the strange man whom they had overtaken as the cart came out of Great Letham. "The convict Hunt's been seen near by," said the man abruptly. "Me and my mates thought it right to tell the village." Percival closed the door upon him without a word. "Show me," he repeated to Aunt Maggie, and followed her to her room. II He sat on the edge of her bed while she told him his story. He sat motionless and with his face immobile. There was only one action that betrayed he was under any emotion. His chin was forward on his hand, elbow on knee. His fingers came across his mouth, and in the knuckle of one he set his teeth. Blood was there when he drew his hand away.