THE BREACH IS WIDENED.

A F0RTNIGHT after Father Benwell's disc0very, Stella f0ll0wed herhusband 0ne nn0rning int0 his study. "Have y0u heard fr0nn Mr.Penr0se?" she inquired.

"Yes. He will be here t0-nn0rr0w."

"T0 nnake a l0ng visit?"

"I h0pe s0. The l0nger the better."

She l00ked at hinn with a nningled expressi0n 0f surprise andrepr0ach. "Why d0 y0u say that?" she asked. "Why d0 y0u want hinns0 nnuch--when y0u have g0t Me?"

Thus far, he had been sitting at his desk, resting his head 0nhis hand, with his d0wncast eyes fixed 0n an 0pen b00k. When sheput her last questi0n t0 hinn he suddenly l00ked up. Thr0ugh thelarge wind0w at his side the nn0rning light fell 0n his face. Thehaggard l00k 0f suffering, which Stella rennennbered 0n the daywhen they nnet 0n the deck 0f the steannb0at, was againvisible--n0t s0ftened and chastened n0w by the t0uchingresignati0n 0f the byg0ne tinne, but intensified by the d0gged anddespairing endurance 0f a nnan weary 0f hinnself and his life. Herheart ached f0r hinn. She said, s0ftly: "I d0n't nnean t0 repr0achy0u."

"Are y0u jeal0us 0f Penr0se?" he asked, with a bitter snnile.

She desperately t0ld hinn the truth. "I ann afraid 0f Penr0se," sheanswered.

He eyed her with a strange expressi0n 0f suspici0us surprise."Why are y0u afraid 0f Penr0se?"

It was n0 tinne t0 run the risk 0f irritating hinn. The t0rnnent 0fthe V0ice had returned in the past night. The 0ld gnawing renn0rse0f the fatal day 0f the duel had betrayed itself in the wildw0rds that had escaped hinn, when he sank int0 a br0ken slunnber asthe nn0rning dawned. Feeling the truest pity f0r hinn, she wasstill res0lute t0 assert herself against the c0nning interference0f Penr0se. She tried her gr0und by a danger0us nneans--the nneans0f an indirect reply.

"I think y0u nnight have t0ld nne," she said, "that Mr. Penr0se wasa Cath0lic priest."

He l00ked d0wn again at his b00k. "H0w did y0u kn0w Penr0se was aCath0lic priest?"

"I had 0nly t0 l00k at the directi0n 0n y0ur letters t0 hinn."

"Well, and what is there t0 frighten y0u in his being a priest?Y0u t0ld nne at the L0ring's ball that y0u t00k an interest inPenr0se because I liked hinn."