"Tell me all you know.
"But I don't know anything, except what I've told you. I give you my word as an officer and a gentleman, that I've been let into this affair in a most shameful manner, and that I'm entirely innocent, and ignorant of everything connected with it."
"I believe you, Lieutenant Kingsland."
"Not if you'll promise to drop this gang; they're a bad lot. Promise me you'll cut loose from them as soon as possible, for your wife's sake."
"I will," he said. "I will, old man. I can't thank you enough for what you've done."
"You've nothing to thank me for; I'm sure you are innocent, and so I don't consider the circumstantial evidence; but you might not be as lucky another time. I hope this will be a lesson to you. I need hardly caution you to silence," and he appeared to peruse some papers to ease the young officer's exit from the room.
That evening in the privacy of the library, the Lieutenant confided the news of his lucky escape to his wife, ending up with the question:
"Do you think the Fitzgerald really loves him?"
"My dear Jack," said Lady Isabelle, "a woman of that stamp does not know what love means, she's simply scheming to marry him for his money. How can people do such things?"