"Yes—but it will keep till to-morrow, if you would rather not hear it now," he replied, looking at her doubtfully.
"I would rather hear it now," she answered after some seconds of silence.
Her heart beat fast.
"You were good enough some time ago to tell me about—Mr. Goddard," began
Mr. Juxon in woeful trepidation.
"Yes," answered his companion under her breath. Her hands were clasped tightly together upon her knees and her eyes sought the squire's anxiously and then looked away again in fear.
"Well, it is about him," continued Mr. Juxon in a gentle voice. "Would you rather put it off? It is—well, rather startling."
Mrs. Goddard closed her eyes, like a person expecting to suffer some terrible pain. She thought Mr. Juxon was going to tell her that Walter had been captured in the village.
"Mr. Goddard has escaped," said the squire, making a bold plunge with the whole truth. The sick lady trembled violently, and unclasping her hands laid them upon the arms of her chair as though to steady herself to bear the worse shock to come. But Mr. Juxon was silent. He had told her all he knew.
"Yes," she said faintly. "Is there anything—anything more?" Her voice was barely audible in the still and dusky room.
"No—except that, of course, there are orders out for his arrest, all over the country."
"He has not been arrested yet?" asked Mrs. Goddard. She had expected to hear that he was caught; she thought the squire was trying to break the shock of the news. Her courage rose a little now.