"Blanche," he began in very quiet tones, "I hear the police are in the house." "Yes," she was obliged to answer, quite taken aback and feeling very much vexed that he had been told, as it was likely to excite him. "Who sent for them? You?" "Oh no." "Then it was your friend; that fellow Ravensworth. I thought as much." "But indeed it was not," she eagerly answered, shrinking from her husband's scornful tones. "When the two policemen came in--and we do not know who it was sent them--Mr. Ravensworth went to them by my desire to stop the search. I told him that you objected to it." "Objected to it! I forbade it," haughtily rejoined Lord Level. "And if--if----" "Oh, pray, Archibald, do not excite yourself; do not, do not!" she interrupted, frightened and anxious. "You know you will become worse again if you do." "Will you go and end it in my name? End it, and send them away from the house." "Yes, if you tell me to do so; if you insist upon it," she answered. "But I am afraid." "Why are you afraid?" Lady Level bent her head until it was on a level with his. "For this, Archibald," she whispered: "that they might question me--and I should be obliged to answer them." Lord Level gently drew her cool cheek nearer, that it might rest against his fevered one, and remained silent, apparently pondering the question. "After I told you all that I saw that night, you bade me be silent," she resumed. "Well, I fear the police might draw it from me if they questioned me." "But you must not allow them to draw it from you." "Oh, but perhaps I could not help it," she sighed. "You know what the police are--how they question and cross-question people." "Blanche, I reminded you last night that you were my wife, and you owed me implicit obedience in all great things." "Yes, and I am trying to obey you; I am indeed, Archibald," she protested, almost torn by conflicting emotions; for, in spite of her doubts and suspicions, and (as she put it to herself) her "wrongs," she loved her husband yet. "Well, my dear, you must be brave for my sake; ay, and for your own. Listen, Blanche: you will tell the police _nothing_; and they _must not search the house_. I don't care to see them myself to forbid it; I don't want to see them. For one thing, I am hardly strong enough to support the excitement it would cause me. But----" "Will you tell me something, Archibald?" she whispered. "Is the--the--person--that attacked you in the house now?" Lord Level looked surprised. "In this house? Why, how could it be? Certainly not." "Was it--was it a woman?" she breathed, her voice low and tremulous. He turned angry. "How can you be so silly, Blanche? A woman! Oh yes," changing to sarcasm, "of course it was a woman. It was you, perhaps." "That is what they are saying, Archibald." "_What_ are they saying?" he returned, in dangerous excitement--if Blanche had only noticed the signs. For all this was agitating him.