"Is your husband with you?" asked Walter, on his guard.
"No, he isn't. He started out after you before midnight, and hasn't been back since. That made me uneasy, and I came out to look for him."
"I have seen him," said Walter.
"Where and when?" asked the woman, eagerly.
It was strange that such a coarse brute should have inspired any woman with love, but Meg did certainly love her husband, in spite of his frequent bad treatment.
"It must have been within an hour of the time I left your house. He stopped under that tree. That was where I saw him."
"Did he see you?"
"No, I was hidden."
"How long did he stay?"
"Only a few minutes, to get rested, I suppose. Then he went on."