When he had left the room Lady Mason's last message was given to Sir Peregrine. "Poor soul, poor soul!" he said, as Mrs. Orme began her story. "Her son knows it all then now."
"I told him last night,—with her consent; so that he should not go into the court to-day. It would have been very bad, you know, if they had—found her guilty."
"Yes, yes; very bad—very bad indeed. Poor creature! And so you told him. How did he bear it?"
"On the whole, well. At first he would not believe me."
"As for me, I could not have done it. I could not have told him."
"Yes, sir, you would;—you would, if it had been required of you."
"I think it would have killed me. But a woman can do things for which a man's courage would never be sufficient. And he bore it manfully."
"He was very stern."
"Yes;—and he will be stern. Poor soul!—I pity her from my very heart. But he will not desert her; he will do his duty by her."
"I am sure he will. In that respect he is a good young man."