“Hah!” he ejaculated with a sigh of relief.
“Stephen Crellock has told Julia what she—and I—declare is false.”
“Stephen Crellock is a fool,” he cried quickly. “Go and fetch Julia here. She must be talked to.”
“Robert! my husband,” cried Mrs Hallam, throwing herself upon her knees and catching his hands, “you do not speak out. Why do you not passionately say it is false? How dare he accuse you of such a crime! You do not speak!”
She gazed up at him wildly.
“What do you want me to say?” he cried angrily. “Do you think me mad, woman? Here, let’s have an end of all this nonsense. What does Crellock say?” She could not speak for a few minutes, so overladen was her heart; and when she did, the words were hoarse that fell upon his ears.
“He said—he told our simple, loving girl, whom I have taught to trust in and reverence her martyred father’s name; whose faith has been in your innocency of the crime for which you were sent here—the girl I taught to pray that your innocence might be proved—”
“Will you go on?” he cried brutally. “I’m sick of this. Now, what did he say?”
“That—Oh, Robert, my husband, I cannot say it! His words cannot be true!”
“Will you speak?” he cried. “Out with it at once! When will you grow to be a woman of the world, and stop this childishness? Now what did the chattering fool say?”