"But your wife would not take it of her.

And when I returned from my errand she was gone--where I know not.

So I decided to send it back to you." He did not follow, or took very little interest in my brief history.

He did not even reiterate his belief that I knew Marie's whereabouts.

His mind was fixed on another point.
"How did you know she had it ?" he asked.
"I found her with it on the table before her--" "You found her ?" "Yes; I went into her sitting room and found her as I say; and she was sobbing; and I got from her the story of it." "She told you that ?" "Yes; and she feared to send it back, lest you should come and overbear her resistance.