Immediately on hearing the momentous news, she had hurried back from Bournemouth, where she was staying, and had succeeded in being the first, not only to congratulate the new lord of the manor on his succession to his own, but to condole with him over his maltreatment in the past. And this had gone straight home with that young gentleman, who, truth to tell, was beginning to feel the need of a little moral support so far as his action in having left his wife was concerned. So seeing that from Mrs. Darrow he would be sure to get it, he had accepted with avidity her invitation to partake of tea at Pine Cottage. There he poured out to her his weak story while she poured out for him tea even weaker, with the result that both were comforted for the time, he being content to put up with the tea in return for the quieting of his already uneasy conscience.
"Well, if you had taken my advice, you would never have married the creature," she said, handing him his third cup. "You'll never be far out if you trust to me. I saw what she was the moment Uncle Barton brought her here."
"Then why did you take her as governess to Dicky?"
"What could I do?" Here Julia's handkerchief went to her eyes. "You know I was absolutely dependent on Uncle Barton; but you don't know how brutally he treated me. But for my spirit I should have died. He threatened to deprive me of every penny if I didn't keep her. I protested and protested, but it was no use."
"Yes, yes, I can quite imagine all you had to go through," said Gerald, getting restive. He had no fancy for a scene.
The widow resenting thus being cut short became more than ever spiteful.
"Perhaps you can imagine, too, the pretty little meetings that used to take place down here between your wife and her lover!"
"Lover!—what lover?"
"A man rejoicing in the very unromantic name of Jabez!—the name's as ugly as himself."
"Jabez?—why, he was her brother. Hilda told me so."