"Didn’t expect you back so soon," he said, after their strained greetings. Henry seemed ill at ease. "Anything up?" he went on, as Jim didn’t speak. There was a moment’s portentous silence. "Henry," Jim began, very calmly, "I’ve got to speak to you about certain matters." Henry, who had been shifting about in his chair, became motionless. His clinched hands strained purple as he grasped the chair rail. "About the—Yeomanry—work?" he half stammered while his eyes furtively sought Jim’s face. But Jim, who was thinking only of Diana and the difficulty of alluding to Henry’s recent conduct, failed to notice his faltering words and frightened expression. "Oh no—no," he answered. "That’s going on all right, I hear." He hesitated. Then with a quick breath he said, "It’s no use. I’ve got to blurt out what’s troubling me. All the town is talking about your life; its flagrance, its indecencies. Do you realize that it will soon reach Diana, and that Lady Elizabeth is quivering under the strain of a certain amount of knowledge which she is hiding, and is dreading further disclosures?" As Jim spoke he seemed to gain courage. "Don’t speak. Let me have my say," he quietly commanded as Henry rose and attempted a blustering manner. "I am the only man close to Lady Elizabeth and Diana. For Sir Charles to become aware of this scandalous condition of affairs would be disastrous. You know that perfectly. Now tell me, in God’s name, why you married Di if you wished to lead this life?" He paused. "Can’t you pull yourself together? It’s not too late. So far nothing definite is known to either Di or Lady Elizabeth, and you may trust me." He rose and crossed to Henry. "It’s all true, I suppose—what I’m accusing you of—isn’t it?" There was no answer. He laid his hand on Henry’s shoulder. "Tell me that it’s over and that you mean to go straight." Henry turned. All his rebellion seemed to have slipped from him. Suddenly he dropped into a chair and buried his head in his hands. "I’m not fit—not fit, do you hear?—for Di. I married her because I loved her. Yes, I did. But you don’t know what it is to fight daily the devil’s desire. God! what do you know about it? I am in the meshes. I have sunk lower and lower. You want to know about this woman the world links with my disgrace. Well, I tried to break with her when I married Di—I swear I did—but I can’t. She is like a dog that one has grown attached to—you can’t fling it out of your life completely. There has always been a wall between Diana and me. I tried in the beginning to reach her, but she’s afraid of me—I know it."