‘Who is going to arrest me?’
‘Edward Clare means mischief. I am sure of that. If he has not already given information to the police, depend upon it he will do so without delay.’
‘Let him,’ answered Treverton. ‘If he does, I must stand my ground. I got out of the way once; and I feel now that in so doing I committed the greatest mistake of my life. I am not going to fall into the same blunder again. If I am to be arrested—if I am to be tried for murder, I will face my position. Perhaps it would be the best thing that could happen to me, for a trial might elicit the truth.’
‘Well, perhaps you are right. Anything like running away would tell against you. But I recommend you to get to the other side of the Channel without an hour’s loss of time. It is of vital importance for you to find out your first wife’s antecedents. If you could be fortunate enough to discover that she was a married woman when she left Auray, that she had a husband living at the time of your marriage——’
‘Why do you harp so upon that string?’ asked Treverton impatiently.
‘Because it is the only string that can save your estate.’
‘I have no hope of such a thing.’
‘Will you go to Auray and hunt up your wife’s history? Will you let me go with you?’
‘I have no objection. A drowning man will cling to a straw I may as well cling to that straw as to any other.’
‘Then we’ll start by the first train to-morrow. We’ll leave the place in the openest manner. You can tell people you are going to Paris on business; but if young Clare does set the police on your track, I think they’ll find it hardish work to catch us.’