I could have wept at the change hi her since I had last seen her. I wanted to hide from her the horror in my face, so I drew her to me and held her fast.

“Oh, Harriet … you sentimental creature! You always were, I knew it”

“You had better tell me everything,” I said. “Where is Benedict Bellairs?”

“I don’t know.”

“So you’ve left him?”

She nodded. “It was the biggest mistake I ever made, Harriet, when I ran away with him.”

“So it went wrong?”

“Almost from the start. He thought that I had money of my own. He’d heard of the Menfreys … old family … traditions, and the rest. And then … I brought nothing.”

“So you found your marriage was a mistake and …”

“It wasn’t exactly a marriage. I thought it was, but he was married already. I was a simpleton, Harriet. It didn’t take much subtlety to deceive me. I went through a form of marriage … but he didn’t even commit bigamy for my sake. It was a friend of his who played the parson. Another actor, so he did it rather well.”

“Gwennan!”

“You look shocked. I read about you in the papers. ‘Daughter of Lansella’s late M.P. marries the present Member. Miss Harriet Delvaney, daughter of the late Sir Edward, was married to Mr. Bevil Menfrey, M.P. for Lamella and district. So, Harriet, you got your wish then. You always wanted Bevil, didn’t you?”

I nodded.

She smiled rather sadly. ‘Tell me what happened when I left?”

The same Gwennan I Her own affairs were always more interesting than those of others, and she made no attempt to hide this.

“Consternation,”

“III bet there was. And Harry?”

“He was heartbroken.”

“Poor Harry! He would have been a good husband to me.”

“What happened after this … mock marriage?”

“I became ‘with child', as they say.”

“You have a child?”

“It’s for that reason that I’ve asked you here really. Tm sinking my pride for him.”

“Where is he?”

She went to a door and opened it. In a small room was an old wicker basket, and in this a child lay asleep. He was pale-faced and not very clean, but he had the Menfrey tawny hair, and I recognized him as one of them.

“Benedict,” she said gently.

“Benedict Bellairs,” I added.

“Benedict Menfrey,” she corrected me.

“Of course.”

“It’s a difficult situation, Harriet”

I agreed, “Why did you ask me? Tell me everything, Gwennan.”

“I asked you because you’re one of the family now and I expect more help from you than the others. I want to come back to Menfreya, Harriet. I can’t stand this life any longer. And I want him brought up at Menfreya,”

“Well, of course you’ll come back.”

“And how explain … ?”

“It could be done. You’ve lost your husband, so you’ve come home. It’s a delicate situation but could be arranged.”

“I wouldn’t come unless they wanted me.”

“But, Gwennan, of course they’ll want you. You belong to them.”

“Dear old Harriet. You’ve got such nice thoughts. Harriet, we real Menfreys—not those by marriage—may not be so land. I want to come back. I want my baby to come back. But I don’t want any recriminations. I don’t want any grudging admittance.”

“You want them to kill the fatted calf for the prodigal daughter?”

“No. I want to come back … and I want you to arrange it And I want Benedict to be known as Menfrey. I want to forget there was ever such a person as Benedict Bellairs.”

“But the boy is named after him!”

“Well, we were together when he was born. It was only afterwards … when I didn’t get well again … that things really went wrong between us.”

“When you didn’t get well again? You’re ill, Gwennan. You don't look …”

“I’m no beauty now, you mean. I've been through hard times, Harriet”

“I can see it. Tell me what’s wrong, Gwennan.”

“Oh … nothing that the sea breezes can’t cure.”

“What are you doing now? How are you living?” ; fine shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh, Gwennan, you must come back with me,” I cried in horror.

“We’d look well walking together, wouldn’t we? The M.P.’s wife, the lady of elegance, and what I’ve become.”

“I can’t leave you here.”

“I want you to go back and tell them that you’ve seen me. I want to be invited back to Menfreya. I hoped I would never have to do this, but I am doing it now.”

“Ill go back at once. But you should come with me Gwennan. I hate leaving you here.”

She shook her head.

“You’re coming back with me,” I insisted.

“When Bevil or my father comes to fetch me, Harriet”

“I shall go straight back, and they’ll be here today.”

“Will they, do you think?”

“Of course they will! I shall insist.”

“You, Harriet?”

She laughed.

I emptied my purse, leaving myself just a few shillings I might need on the return journey, and I was angry with myself because I had not brought more with me.

I kissed her and left her.

“Ill see you soon,” I said.

I ran to the station, and while I waited for the train I sat thinking of her hi a hundred different scenes. Gwennan on horseback riding through the lanes about Menfreya; at the Chough Towers ball; going into Plymouth to be fitted for her wedding dress. I could not bear to remember her as she bad been and think of her as she was now.

How long that journey seemed, and when I arrived at Liskeard, as I had not known what time I should return, I had to take the local train to Menfrey stow and then walk back to Menfreya.

I was about to run into the house when Bevil came riding into the courtyard.

“Bevil,” I cried. “I must speak to you at once.”

“I’ve something to tell you”

He was excited, but my thoughts were so full of Gwennan that I could think of nothing else. He called to one of the grooms to take his horse and he followed me into the house.

“Bevil… come up to our room. I want to talk to you.”

He took my arm. “You’ll never guess. It's incredible. What do you think, Harriet?”

“Bevil, I must tell you. I’ve been to Plymouth …”

“Harry Leveret. He’s standing against me. What do you think of it? Have you ever heard anything like it?”

“Bevil, I’ve …”

“Of course, I don’t think he’s got much of a chance. But it’s going to be more of a fight than I anticipated. A local man like this … !”

He did not notice how overwrought I was. He could think of nothing but the new situation created by Harry Leveret’s standing against him.

We reached our room. I shut the door and blurted out: “I’ve seen Gwennan.”

That shook him. He stared at me blankly for a few seconds; then he said sharply: “Where?”

“In a squalid room in Plymouth.”

“Good God!”

“She’s got a child.”

“And this… actor?”

“She’s left him. She was never really married to him.”

He was bewildered. I could see him trying to imagine this terrible thing which had happened to proud Gwennan; and at the same time one thought would keep intruding into his concern for his sister. He was picturing her coming back to Menfreya with her child. There would be scandalized comments; his father’s indiscretions would be recalled. “These wild Menfreys,” they would say. “Are they the people we want to represent us in London?” And there was Harry Leveret, waiting, ready to slip into Bevil’s place.

“She’s ill. She wants the boy to be brought up here … as a Menfrey.”

“It can’t be, Harriet!” he said, and his voice was almost a whisper.

“When you’ve seen her, Bevil, you’ll realize it must be.”

“There must be some way out of this. Well take care of her, but if she comes here … with a child and no husband … and a possible election hi view.”

“I know it will be difficult,” I said. “But this is Gwennan.”

“You must leave this to me,” he replied firmly.

I looked at him intently, wondering how well I knew my husband. I was disappointed. I bad thought he would feel as I did, and that was that we must tell the family at once of Owennan’s plight, and we must bring her back to Menfreya Without delay.

“I will go and see her tomorrow,” he said. “In the meantime say nothing to the others.”

I had to be satisfied with that I was certain that when he saw Gwennan he would be as horrified and moved as I was, and I was sure that Gwennan would soon be home.

It was late the next day when Bevil returned from Plymouth. I was alarmed when he came alone.

I was waiting for him as he entered the house.

“Gwennan…” I began.

“She’s all right,” he said. “You needn’t worry.”

“All right? But…”

“She decided that she wouldn’t come back, after all.”

“Wouldn’t come back! But…”

“She saw what it would mean if she did. She didn’t want to make trouble. She says that she’s caused enough already. She’ll be well looked after.”

I was suddenly angry. He had been there, talking to her, making her see how her presence might influence bis career. He had made it impossible for her to come back.

“I’m going to see her,” I said. “I’m going to talk to her.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t you believe me, Harriet?” he asked coldly. He was tired, I could see—physically and emotionally. I understood that Gwennan’s return would not send up the family’s credit in the neighborhood, but it seemed to me that the only thing that mattered was that we should look after her.

“I don’t know what to believe,” I said.

“In that case, rest assured that I have done all I could for her.”

“All you could?” I demanded. “For whom? For Gwennan or the good name of the family, which is so important now with an election pending?”

“For heaven’s sake, Harriet, don’t be a fool! It hasn’t been very pleasant, I can tell you. Gwennan won’t come home. But she will be all right. She’ll have an allowance, and the child will be cared for. You didn’t mention this to my mother? She’d be most upset”

I shook my head.

I went up to our bedroom and sat at the window overlooking the sea. I thought: He was determined not to have her back. He thinks it’s enough to see that she has money. But it isn’t enough. She’s crying out for Menfreya. I thought of her mother—kindly, ineffectual. She had accepted the rule of the Menfrey men, as I would never do. I was one of them now, but I was determined always to be myself.

That was my house on the island there. If Gwennan couldn’t come to Menfreya she could come to the island house. From there she would see Menfreya, and she would be happier for it.

I had made up my mind. Tomorrow I was going to Plymouth to see Gwennan.

In the morning Bevil was like his old self. It seemed to me that in bis mind the affair of Gwennan was neatly marked off as finished. He would probably see bis solicitor and arrange for an allowance to be paid to her, and later he would look after the boy’s education. He might even visit her at regular intervals. But in my opinion that wasn’t the sort of attention Gwennan needed.

I said nothing of the affair, and this must have deceived him. He talked as usual while we breakfasted together.

“There’s going to be some pretty hard campaigning, and I want you to appear with me. We ought to make a tour of the villages and outlying districts. I think you might develop a flan- for that sort of thing, Harriet.”

I was pleased to be included. To be with bun, sharing his life, was what I wanted more than anything. I was interested in the lives of the people whom we represented. I loved the work I did when I went to Lamella. Very often we were able to help some of the old farm workers who were afraid of being turned out of their cottages. Bevil had very strong feelings about looking after the elderly. He said it was inherent hi the old landowning classes and had been bred over the generations. He wanted to modernize some of the fishermen’s cottages along the coast which had been standing for several hundred years and although highly picturesque were scarcely sanitary. There were all these matters to be dealt with; and Bevil was working indefatigably for the people. He would work for those people, I told myself, yet I suspected he would not allow his own sister to come back to her home, and all because he feared scandal. I understood his fears to a certain extent, The battle for his seat was going to be a fierce one, and danger had loomed up from an unexpected quarter. I knew very well what would be said by our opponents. The father was involved hi a scandal and as a result there was not a Menfrey in Parliament for several years. Now there’s Gwennan Menfrey who went off to Plymouth and comes back with a baby and no father for it! There are the Menfreys for you. Are they the sort of people you want to represent you in Parliament?