The thing was done at once, and before I knew it I was alone with the old man who, though he was my supplanter, was also Margery's father. He entered cautiously, shielding his bedroom candle with his hand and peering over it to make me out, as if his venturing in were not unperilous. And I marked that when he put the candle down upon the table, he edged away and felt behind him for the door as if to make sure of his retreat in case of need. "Sit down, Captain Ireton; sit down, I beg of you," he said, in his thin, rasping treble. And when I had obeyed: "I think you must know what I've come for, Captain Ireton?" I said I could guess; and he began again, volubly now, as if to have it over in the shortest space. "'Twas not a gentlemanly thing for you to do, Captain Ireton--this marrying of a foolish girl out of hand while you were here a guest; and as for the priest that did it, I--I'll have him hanged before the army leaves, I promise you. But now 'tis done, I hope ye're prepared to make the best of it?" I saw at once that his daughter had not yet confided in him; that he was still entangled in my lie. So I thought it well to probe him deeper while I might. "What would you call 'the best' if I may ask?" said I, growing the cooler with some better seeing of the way ahead. "The marriage settlements!" he cried shrilly, coming to the point at once, as any miser would. "'Tis the merest matter of form, as ye may say, for your title to Appleby Hundred is well burnt out, I promise you. But for the decent look of it you might make over your quitclaim to your wife." "Aye, truly; so I might." "And so you should, sir; that you should, ye miserable, spying runag"--he choked and coughed behind his hand and then began again without the epithets. "'Tis the very least ye can do for her now, when you have the rope fair around your curs--ahem--your--your rebel neck. Only for the form's sake, to be sure, ye understand, for she'd inherit after you in any case." I saw his drift at last, and, not caring to spare him, sped the shaft of truth and let it find the joint in his harness. "'Tis as you say, Mr. Stair. But as it chances, Mistress Margery is not my wife." If I had flung the candle at him where he stood fumbling behind him for the door-latch,'twould not have made him shrink or dodge the more. "Wha--what's that ye say?" he piped in shrillest cadence. "Not married? Then you--you--" "I lied to save her honor--that was all. A wife might do the thing she did and go scot free of any scandal; but not a maid, as you could see and hear."