XXVII + 

They all rose at this sudden interruption. + 

тАЬArrest him!тАЭ said Godwin, pointing to Martial. + 

тАЬArrest! What do you mean?тАЭ said Mr.┬аGoring. + 

тАЬIтБатАФIтБатАФhaтБатАФhaтБатАФhum!тАЭ said Cornleigh. + 

тАЬThatтАЩs the manтБатАФtake him! WhereтАЩs your handcuffs?тАЭ shouted Godwin. + 

тАЬOn what charge?тАЭ said Mr.┬аGoring. + 

тАЬOn what charge?тАЭ asked Cornleigh, naturally repeating, as he had done for so many years. + 

тАЬI charge him with attempted murderтБатАФhe fired at me! come, seize him!тАЭ + 

тАФGodwin thrust the policeman forward; the constable hesitated and looked towards the magistrate for instructions. + 

тАЬI charge you with the most brutal assault,тАЭ said Martial. тАЬYou tried to make the horse trample on FeliseтАЭтБатАФhe held FeliseтАЩs arm as if it were necessary to protect her even there, тАЬI say arrest him!тАЭ shouted Godwin. тАЬQuickтБатАФthe handcuffs!тАЭ + 

Martial stepped forward with flushed face, but Mr.┬аGoring intervened and held him back. + 

тАЬRobert Godwin, leave this house!тАЭ he cried sternly. + 

тАЬLeave the house!тАЭ repeated Cornleigh. + 

тАЬHe is a spendthrift rascal!тАЭ shouted Godwin, pushing to get past Goring, and so at Martial. + 

Martial tried to get at the fellow. тАЬKeep them apart!тАЭ cried Goring. + 

тАЬKeep them apart!тАЭ cried Cornleigh, seizing GodwinтАЩs right arm, while the constable held his left. + 

тАЬYou ruined your cousinsтБатАФyou have brought the Miss Barnards to ruin! You have wasted your substanceтБатАФyou spendthrift rascal!тАЭ screamed the steward. + 

тАЬMartialтБатАФMartial!тАЭ cried Felise; тАЬdonтАЩt, dear! donтАЩt strike himтБатАФhe is insane!тАЭ + 

Martial ceased to press towards the intruder, but Godwin, in his ungovernable fury, dragged Cornleigh and the constable by main force past the window. From the window a stern hand seized the stewardтАЩs collarтБатАФit was Abner. Godwin turned fiercely towards him. + 

тАЬYou be the man as killed my Mary,тАЭ said Abner. + 

тАЬLiar!тАЭ + 

тАЬтАКтАЩTwas through you and heтАЭ (nodding towards Cornleigh) тАЬas she jumped in the mill-pool. Thank you, miss, for the oak coffin as you give her. Measter Godwin, you knows what you said to Mary in the field once.тАЭ + 

With a great effort Godwin forced himself free from Cornleigh and the constable, upsetting some flowers in the window; he struck wildly at Abner as he passedтБатАФAbner drew back and let the blow expend itselfтБатАФand rushed at Martial. Felise sprang in front of Martial and received a skirting blow on her arm; she cried out. Martial, Mr.┬аGoring, Cornleigh, and the constable together seized the madman. + 

Yet such was his immense strength that he dragged them to and froтБатАФhe swung them to and froтБатАФthe table cracked as their weight pressed on it, the partition-wall trembled as they came against it. Felise beckoned AbnerтБатАФhe ran in and helped. At last the paroxysm decreased; the four of them held Godwin somewhat still, but he continued to shout forth accusations at Martial, They pinioned him against the wall; he ground his teeth and foamed at the mouth, his face was black as night, his colourless eyes glared at Felise. + 

тАЬYou gave him the horse as a present,тАЭ he panted. тАЬDisgraceful! You gave him Ruy as a present, and heтБатАФheтБатАФhe jilted Rosa Wood. He didтБатАФthereтБатАФhe was engaged to herтБатАФhe jilted her!тАЭ + 

тАЬHe did not,тАЭ said a voice, and Rosa Wood entered. She had knocked several times, but no one answered, and, hearing voices, she had ventured to enter. тАЬHe did not. My father broke off the engagement. It was not Martial.тАЭ + 

тАЬI say arrest him!тАЭ shouted Godwin, again struggling. + 

тАЬYou are excitedтБатАФwait till tomorrow,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGoring, hoping to reason with him. + 

тАЬWait till tomorrow,тАЭ repeated Cornleigh. + 

тАЬWhatтБатАФyou?тАЭ cried the steward, as if at last recognising his employer. + 

тАЬYou are excited,тАЭ repeated Cornleigh. + 

тАЬWhat!тАЭ cried Godwin, as if this was too much; that the man he had served so long should turn against and hold him. + 

тАЬWait till tomorrowтБатАФtomorrow,тАЭ repeated Cornleigh. + 

тАЬWhy, he insulted you on the platform at the meeting,тАЭ said Godwin. + 

тАЬTry and be calm,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGoring. + 

тАЬTry and be calm,тАЭ repeated Cornleigh. + 

тАЬLet me go,тАЭ said Robert, suddenly ceasing to struggle. They left holding him; he walked out of the room and across the lawn, bareheaded in the sunshine. + 

тАЬтАКтАЩTwas you as killed my Mary!тАЭ shouted Abner after him; he did not look back. + 

тАЬHeтАЩll come to hisself presently,тАЭ said the constable; тАЬIтАЩll just see him home.тАЭ He went after the steward. + 

As the agitation in the room subsided, Rosa felt the necessity of explaining her appearance. + 

тАЬI had something to say to Martial and you,тАЭ she said to Mr.┬аGoring. тАЬBut I am glad Mr.┬аCornleigh is here.тАЭ + 

тАЬI am sorry you found things in such disorder among us,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGoring, offering her a chair, but she continued standing near Felise. She had evidently strung up her resolution, and wished to speak at once. + 

тАЬMartial!тАЭ she said. + 

тАЬRosa!тАЭ his tone was somewhat constrained. + 

тАЬIt is not true that he wasted the Miss BarnardsтАЩ money,тАЭ said Rosa, turning a little and speaking towards Mr.┬аGoring. тАЬThe truth is just the reverseтБатАФhe straitened his own means for their sake. Martial! Martial!тАЭ (she spoke to him by name, but her face was towards Mr.┬аGoring), тАЬIтБатАФI did not know till the meeting that you were in such trouble. IтБатАФI am very, very sorryтБатАФdonтАЩt leave the old farm. I will lend you my moneyтБатАФit is four thousandтБатАФand you can settleтАЭ (she could not say тАЬmarryтАЭ)тБатАФтАЬI mean you can stay. Mr.┬аCornleigh, you will let him, wonтАЩt you?тАЭ + 

тАЬOf course,тАЭ said Cornleigh. тАЬIтБатАФI have just mentioned the matter. Barnard, think it over.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo,тАЭ said Martial, тАЬI cannot do it; I cannot go back; I will not submit again.тАЭ + 

тАЬCan be arranged,тАЭ said Cornleigh. тАЬMistake put right, you know; all a mistake.тАЭ + 

тАЬDo take it!тАЭ said Rosa. тАЬIt is my ownтБатАФno one can stop me; but no one wishes to, for I have told papa. Do take it! it is four thousandтБатАФit is plenty.тАЭ + 

тАЬThis is very noble of you,тАЭ said Felise. тАЬI hate you!тАЭ whispered Rosa aside. + 

тАЬOh!тАЭ Felise drew back. She understood instantlyтБатАФa whisper, the sound of which the rest had heard, but had not caught the words, was enough for a woman. + 

тАЬI cannot take it, Rosa,тАЭ said Martial. тАЬIt is too much to thank you forтБатАФit is beyond thanks; but I cannotтБатАФI would rather work with my hands than return.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut you must have itтБатАФI shall not be happy unless. There, I have said itтБатАФI will writeтБатАФтАЭ her voice faltered a little. тАЬMr.┬аGoring, will you come with me?тАЭ Mr.┬аGoring accompanied her to her carriage, she repeated it to him more fully, and begged him to use his influence with Martial, and not to let him leave the old house. He promised to do his best. + 

Meantime, Cornleigh was fidgeting with his hat; though he was present, Martial could not quite suppress his feelings, and was perhaps more anxious than absolutely necessary in his inquiries if FeliseтАЩs arm was hurt. She assured him it was not. Perhaps Cornleigh did not appreciate these attentions to her. + 

тАЬMust be going,тАЭ he said, rising. тАЬHave engagements. Miss GoringтБатАФfeel sure I can rely on you to distribute these [the pictures]тБатАФworthy people. Good morning [bowing]тБатАФmost important, you knowтБатАФraise aspirationsтБатАФIтБатАФIтБатАФhaтБатАФhumтБатАФтАЭ and so exeunt. + 

Rosa had heard MartialтАЩs speech at the meeting in bitter misery; he was leaving his forefathersтАЩ home for lack of the money which she possessed so abundantly. If only he had loved her! Her love for him rose stronger than everтБатАФin his ruin, and now that he loved anotherтБатАФhe was dearer than ever. This noble womanтБатАФnoble notwithstanding occasional pettinessтБатАФresolved that anyway he should be happy; and after a tearful interview with her father, she drove over to the Manor House; thence, as Martial was not at home, she conquered her jealousy, and actually followed him to Beechknoll. + 

Anyway he should be happyтБатАФeven with her. With this money he could marry and stay. The sight of Felise almost staggered her, but she was brave. She could not resist delivering that side-thrust, тАЬI hate you!тАЭтБатАФstill she adhered to her resolution. + 

By-and-by the constable came back, just to say (and get a glass of ale) that he had seen Mr.┬аGodwin home; he was quite quiet-like now, and had gone up in his room to do some writing. тАЬHe will be hisself again tomorrow.тАЭ + 