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The Moorhouses and McCleans were old friends, and had been together in Australia on the diggings many years before. He was not, I recollect, much impressed with Moorhouse's speculation, but as he had a run at the south of the Wanaka and a homestead there he arranged for our reception and for a boat to take us a portion of the voyage up the lake.
The delightful drive, up hill and down dale, with its magnificent views over the estuary, and its ever-changing wayside beauties, put him into the best of spirits. About noon, he alighted at the Rolle Arms, the hotel to which the coach conducts its passengers, and entered to take a meal. He would call upon the Moorhouses at the conventional hour.
Her tone was more reserved than hitherto. 'Yes, I knew he had. He met Miss Moxey by chance at Budleigh Salterton, and I happened to be there at the Moorhouses' on the same day. Sidwell glanced at him inquiringly, and waited for something more. 'I saw Miss Moxey in private, he added, speaking more quickly, 'and asked her to keep my secret.
Marcella had made herself his accomplice, thus far, in disguising the real significance of their meeting, and whether she would betray him in her subsequent talk with the Moorhouses remained a matter of doubt. Of course he must have assurance of her disposition but the issues involved were too desperate for instant scrutiny.
The necessity of speaking enabled her to ignore these turbulent speculations, which yet were anything but new to her. 'They met at Budleigh Salterton, she said, quietly. 'Who did? Warricombe and Peak? 'Yes. At the Moorhouses'. It was when I was there. Christian stared at her. 'When you were there? But you met Peak? His sister smiled, turning from the astonished gaze. 'Yes, I met him.
It came out, by-the-bye, that he had given all his acquaintances the slip; they had completely lost sight of him I suppose until Miss Moxey met him by chance at Budleigh Salterton. There's some mystery still. She evidently kept Peak's secret from the Moorhouses and the Walworths. A nice business, altogether! Again there was a long silence.
By now she had learnt that the Moorhouses and the Warricombes were connected in close friendship: it was all but certain, then, that Miss Moorhouse had told Miss Warricombe of Peak's visit to Budleigh Salterton, and its incidents. Could this in any way be explanatory of the steady, searching look in those soft eyes?
Having accompanied the girls to within view of their destination, Peak said good-night, and went home to spend the rest of the evening in thought which was sufficiently absorbing. The next day he had no sight of Marcella. At luncheon the Moorhouses were alone. Naturally they talked of Coleridge, whose metaphysical side appealed to Moorhouse.
'No. The word fell from her, absently, despondently. 'Miss Moxey, would anything be gained by our discussing my position? If you think it a mystery, hadn't we better leave it so? She made no answer. 'But perhaps, he went on, 'you have told them the Walworths and the Moorhouses that I owe my friends an explanation?
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