And yet what choice had she?
Convinced by her cousin and urged by her affection and duty to Richard, she repressed her aversion, and, calling for a horse, rode out to Zoyland Chase, attended by a groom.

Wilding by good fortune was at home, hard at work upon a mass of documents in that same library where she had talked with him on the occasion of her first visit to his home--to the home of which she remembered that she was now, herself, the mistress.

He was preparing for circulation in the West a mass of libels and incendiary pamphlets calculated to forward the cause of the Protestant Duke.
Dissembling his surprise, he bade old Walters--who left her waiting in the hall whilst he went to announce her--to admit her instantly, and he advanced to the door to receive and welcome her.
"Ruth," said he, and his face was oddly alight, "you have come at last." She smiled a wan smile of self-pity.

"I have been constrained," said she, and told him what had happened; that her brother had been arrested for high treason, and that the constable in searching the house had come upon the Monmouth letter she had locked away in her desk.
"And not a doubt," she ended, "but it will be believed that it was to Richard the letter was indited by the Duke.

You will remember that its only address was 'to my good friend, W.,' and that will stand for Westmacott as well as Wilding." Mr.Wilding was fain to laugh at the irony of this surprising turn of things of which she brought him news; for he had neither knowledge nor suspicion of the machinations of his friend Trenchard, to which these events were due.