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Crayford to reply。 Once again he answered evasively。
〃It doesn't follow； my dear；〃 he said； 〃that the two men were
missing together because their names happen to come together on
the list。〃
Clara instantly drew the inevitable conclusion from that
ill…considered reply。
〃Frank is missing from the party of relief；〃 she said。 〃Am I to
understand that Wardour is missing from the huts？〃
Both Crayford and Steventon hesitated。 Mrs。 Crayford cast one
indignant look at them； and told the necessary lie； without a
moment's hesitation！
〃Yes！〃 she said。 〃Wardour is missing from the huts。〃
Quickly as she had spoken； she had still spoken too late。 Clara
had noticed the momentary hesitation on the part of the two
officers。 She turned to Steventon。
〃I trust to your honor；〃 she said； quietly。 〃Am I right； or
wrong； in believing that Mrs。 Crayford is mistaken？〃
She had addressed herself to the right man of the two。 Steventon
had no wife present to exercise authority over him。 Steventon；
put on his honor； and fairly forced to say something； owned the
truth。 Wardour had replaced an officer whom accident had disabled
from accompanying the party of relief； and Wardour and Frank were
missing together。
Clara looked at Mrs。 Crayford。
〃You hear？〃 she said。 〃It is you who are mistaken； not I。 What
you call 'Accident；' what I call 'Fate；' brought Richard Wardour
and Frank together as members of the same Expedition； after all。〃
Without waiting for a reply； she again turned to Steventon； and
surprised him by changing the painful subject of the conversation
of her own accord。
〃Have you been in the Highlands of Scotland？〃 she asked。
〃I have never been in the Highlands；〃 the lieutenant replied。
〃Have you ever read； in books about the Highlands； of such a
thing as 'The Second Sight'？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Do you believe in the Second Sight？〃
Steventon politely declined to commit himself to a direct reply。
〃I don't know what I might have done； if I had ever been in the
Highlands；〃 he said。 〃As it is； I have had no opportunities of
giving the subject any serious consideration。〃
〃I won't put your credulity to the test；〃 Clara proceeded。 〃I
won't ask you to believe anything more extraordinary than that I
had a strange dream in England not very long since。 My dream
showed me what you have just acknowledgedand more than that。
How did the two missing men come to be parted from their
companions？ Were they lost by pure accident； or were they
deliberately left behind on the march？〃
Crayford made a last vain effort to check her inquiries at the
point which they had now reached。
〃Neither Steventon nor I were members of the party of relief；〃 he
said。 〃How are we to answer you？〃
〃Your brother officers who _were_ members of the party must have
told you what happened；〃 Clara rejoined。 〃I only ask you and Mr。
Steventon to tell me what they told you。〃
Mrs。 Crayford interposed again； with a practical suggestion this
time。
〃The luncheon is not unpacked yet；〃 she said。 〃Come； Clara！ this
is our business； and the time is passing。〃
〃The luncheon can wait a few minutes longer；〃 Clara answered。
〃Bear with my obstinacy；〃 she went on； laying her hand
caressingly on Crayford's shoulder。 〃Tell me how those two came
to be separated from the rest。 You have always been the kindest
of friendsdon't begin to be cruel to me now！〃
The tone in which she made her entreaty to Crayford went straight
to the sailor's heart。 He gave up the hopeless struggle： he let
her see a glimpse of the truth。
〃On the third day out；〃 he said； 〃Frank's strength failed him。 He
fell behin d the rest from fatigue。〃
〃Surely they waited for him？〃
〃It was a serious risk to wait for him； my child。 Their lives
（and the lives of the men they had left in the huts） depended； in
that dreadful climate； on their pushing on。 But Frank was a
favorite。 They waited half a day to give Frank the chance of
recovering his strength。〃
There he stopped。 There the imprudence into which his fondness
for Clara had led him showed itself plainly； and closed his lips。
It was too late to take refuge in silence。 Clara was determined
on hearing more。
She questioned Steventon next。
〃Did Frank go on again after the half…day's rest？〃 she asked。
〃He tried to go on〃
〃And failed？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What did the men do when he failed？ Did they turn cowards？ Did
they desert Frank？〃
She had purposely used language which might irritate Steventon
into answering her plainly。 He was a young manhe fell into the
snare that she had set for him。
〃Not one among them was a coward； Miss Burnham！〃 he replied；
warmly。 〃You are speaking cruelly and unjustly of as brave a set
of fellows as ever lived！ The strongest man among them set the
example； he volunteered to stay by Frank； and to bring him on in
the track of the exploring party。〃
There Steventon stoppedconscious； on his side； that he had said
too much。 Would she ask him who this volunteer was？ No。 She went
straight on to the most embarrassing question that she had put
yetreferring to the volunteer； as if Steventon had already
mentioned his name。
〃What made Richard Wardour so ready to risk his life for Frank's
sake？〃 she said to Crayford。 〃Did he do it out of friendship for
Frank？ Surely you can tell me that？ Carry your memory back to the
days when you were all living in the huts。 Were Frank and Wardour
friends at that time？ Did you never hear any angry words pass
between them？〃
There Mrs。 Crayford saw her opportunity of giving her husband a
timely hint。
〃My dear child！〃 she said； 〃how can you expect him to remember
that？ There must have been plenty of quarrels among the men； all
shut up together； and all weary of each other's company； no
doubt。〃
〃Plenty of quarrels！〃 Crayford repeated； 〃and every one of them
made up again。〃
〃And every one of them made up again；〃 Mrs。 Crayford reiterated；
in her turn。 〃There！ a plainer answer than that you can't wish to
have。 Now are you satisfied？ Mr。 Steventon； come and lend a hand
（as you say at sea） with the hamperClara won't help me。
William； don't stand there doing nothing。 This hamper holds a
great deal； we must have a division of labor。 Your division shall
be laying the tablecloth。 Don't handle it in that clumsy way！ You
unfold a table…cloth as if you were unfurling a sail。 Put the
knives on the right； and the forks on the left； and the napkin
and the bread between them。 Clara； if you are not hungry in this
fine air； you ought to be。 Come and do your duty； come and have
some lunch！〃
She looked up as she spoke。 Clara appeared to have yielded at
last to the conspiracy to keep her in the dark。 She had returned
slowly to the boat…house doorway； and she was standing alone on
the threshold； looking out。 Approaching her to lead her to the
luncheon…table； Mrs。 Crayford could hear that she was speaking
softly to herself。 She was repeating the farewell words which
Richard Wardour had spoken to her at the ball。
〃'A time may come when I shall forgive _you_。 But the man who has
robbed me of you shall rue the day when you and he first met。'
Oh； Frank！ Frank！ does Richard still live； with your blood on his
conscience； and my image in his heart？〃
Her lips suddenly closed。 She started； and drew back from the
doorway； trembling violently。 Mrs。 Crayford looked out at the
quiet seaward view。
〃Anything there that frightens you； my dear？〃 she asked。 〃I can
see nothing； except the boats drawn up on the beach。〃
〃_I_ can see nothing either； Lucy。〃
〃And yet you are trembling as if there was something dreadful in
the view from this door。〃
〃There _is_ something dreadful！ I feel it； though I see nothing。
I feel it； nearer and nearer in the empty air； darker and darker
in the sunny light。 I don't know what it is。 Take me away！ No。
Not out on the beach。 I can't pass the door。 Somewhere else！
somewhere else！〃
Mrs。 Crayford looked round her； and noticed a second door at the
inner end of the boat…house。 She spoke to her husband。
〃See where that door leads to； William。〃
Crayford opened the door。 It led into a desolate inclosure； half
garden； half yard。 Some nets stretched on poles were hanging up
to dry。 No other objects were visiblenot a living creature
appeared in the place。 〃It doesn't look very inviting； my dear；〃
said Mrs。 Crayford。 〃I am at your service； however。 What do you
say？〃
She offered her arm to Clara as she spoke。 Clara refused it。 She
took Crayford's arm； and clung to him。
〃I'm frightened； dreadfully frightened！〃 she said to him；
faintly。 〃You keep with mea woman is no protection； I want to
be with you。〃 She looked round again at the boat…house doorway。
〃Oh！〃 she whispered； 〃I'm cold all overI'm frozen with fear of
this place。 Come into the yard！ Come into the yard！〃
〃Leave her to me；〃 said Crayford to his wife。 〃I will call you；
if she doesn't get better in the open air。〃
He took her out at once； and closed the yard door behind them。
〃Mr。 Steventon； do you understand this？〃 asked Mrs。 Crayford。
〃What can she possibly be frightened of？〃
She put the question； still looking mechanically at the door by
which her husband and Clara had gone out。 Receivi