Page:GB Lancaster--law-bringer.djvu/145

Rh "That'll teach you to put your deuced rubbish about all over the shop," he said savagely. "Pick it up and take it away."

Jennifer stood up, flushing. This was worse than anything he had hitherto shown before Dick. She silenced Dick with a movement of her hand as he rose, and went forward. But Ducane had already entangled his feet in the branches. He stooped; wrenched them away from his ankles, and flung them in Jennifer's face.

"Do you want to make me fall and break my neck?" he stormed.

"Harry, dear"

And then a quiet hand put Jennifer aside.

"Please go away for a few minutes, Mrs. Ducane," said Dick.

"Oh—you won't?"

"I won't hurt him. But he might hurt you. Please go."

He held the door open, and Ducane lurched forward, inarticulate with fury. He had ceased to fear Dick for the moment. And he was a big man. Bigger and heavier than Dick. Jennifer stood on the threshold. She was half-dazed, but one little sharp thread of fear ran through her.

"Oh—I can't. He's not safe"

"Not safe for me?" Dick smiled. "Don't be frightened," he said, and shut the door, facing Ducane with his back to it.

Jennifer stood outside it with her face white and set. She was glad, fiercely glad that a man should meet Ducane on the ground where she had bowed in submission so long. And she was burning with shame that it should be necessary. And she was thrilling with some unexplainable emotion which was more than anger, more than belief, more than pain. She could not analyse it; but she knew that from no other man would she have allowed this interference between herself and her husband.

Ducane's voice rose, loud and hectoring. She could not hear Dick. She did not want to hear him. She went down the passage to her own room and stood looking out on the calm night of stars. There was no love for Du-