Capella turned to rush away up the avenue, but he was compelled to limp. Mrs. Crowe watched him wonderingly, and tried to piece together in her mind the queer sounds and occurrences of the last two minutes. She had not long been in the cottage when the butler arrived. "You let two gentlemen in a while ago?" he said. "I did." "One was Mr. David and the other a Mr. Brett?" "Oh, was that the tall gentleman's name?" "I expect so. Well, here's the missus's written order that whenever they want to come to the 'ouse or go anywheres in the park it's O.K." Mrs. Crowe was wise enough to keep her own counsel, but when the butler retired, she said: "Then I'll obey the missus, an' master can settle it with her. I don't hold by Eye-talians, anyhow." CHAPTER VI AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE Helen was very much upset by the painful scene which had just been enacted. Its vulgarity appalled her. In a little old-world hamlet like Sleagill, a riotous cow or frightened horse supplied sensation for a week. What would happen when it became known that the rector's daughter had been attacked by the Squire of Beechcroft in the park meadow, and saved from his embraces only after a vigorous struggle, in which her defender was David Hume-Frazer, concerning whom the villagers still spoke with bated breath? Of course, the girl imagined that many people must have witnessed the occurrence. The appearance of Brett, of the waiting groom, and of a chance labourer who now strode up the village street, led her to think so. She did not realise that the whole affair had barely lasted a minute, that Brett was Hume's friend, the man-servant a stranger who had seen nothing and heard little, whilst the villager only wondered, when he touched his cap, "why Miss Layton was so flustered like." Brett attributed her agitation to its right cause. He knew that this healthy, high-minded, and athletic young woman went under no fear of Capella and his ravings. "What happened when you jumped the hedge?" he said to Hume. "I handled that scoundrel somewhat roughly," was the answer. "It was Nellie here who begged for mercy on his account." "Ah, well, the incident ended very pleasantly. No one saw what happened save the principals, a fortunate thing in itself. We want to prevent a nine days' wonder just now." "Are you quite sure?" asked Miss Layton, overjoyed at this expression of opinion, and secretly surprised at the interest taken by the barrister in the affair, for Hume had not as yet found time to tell her his friend's name. "Quite sure, Miss Layton," he said, with the smile which made him such a prompt favourite with women. "I had nothing to do but observe the _mise-en-scène_. The stage was quite clear for the chief actors. And now, may I make a suggestion? The longer we remain here the more likely are we to attract observation. Mr. Hume and I are going to call on Mrs. Eastham. May we expect you in an hour's time?" "Can't you come in with us now?" exclaimed David eagerly.