For a few minutes the two men glared each at the other; Sir Robert pale with fierce anger, in deadly earnest, and probably unconscious how strong was his grip. Jack gasping, gurgling, perhaps affecting more inconvenience than he actually experienced, in order to gain time, and to think of an answer to satisfy the incensed husband. But before the silence was broken, while Jack still lay struggling in the fierce grip of his captor, there was a sound on the terrace, a scream, a flutter of drapery, and Lady Sarah dashed into the room. “What is it? Oh, what is it? What are you doing? You are killing him!” she cried, as she flew across the room and tried to drag her husband away. But he shook her off almost roughly, and said, in a tone he had never used to her before: “Go away. We must settle this between ourselves, he and I.” But she would not go. Guessing now that some terrible revelation had been made to Sir Robert, and that a crisis had been reached, she came back when she had been repulsed, and throwing herself between the two men, stared up into her husband’s face, and said: “Tell me what has happened. Tell me, tell me. I must, I will know.” Sir Robert relaxed his hold on Jack Rotherfield, seized his wife by the shoulders, and looked her full in the face with penetrating, angry eyes. “Why do you ask these questions? You know what it is I’ve found out. I know that you and he were engaged together last night in robbing me. What have you to say for yourself? Answer me if you can.” There was, under all his ferocity, a hungry look of longing, an expression of strained eagerness to hear something from her lips which would mitigate the harshness of the sentence he must pass upon her. There was silence for a few moments. Jack Rotherfield had risen hastily from the couch, and was standing, panting, a little behind Sir Robert, in the hope of being able to catch Lady Sarah’s eye. But the baronet, now wholly alert and as keen to suspicion as a man could be, foiled this attempt at an exchange of looks or signs, by turning her round, so that he faced Jack, who did not dare to move away. Lady Sarah, sobbing, tearful, trembling, looked up with a sudden impulse of daring.