I don't believe that the document would be of much use in a
court of law in case she wished to claim any of her rights, but it
served to satisfy her, and she thought it was legally sound and
actually inviolable.
"Here we separated. I left England, and have never been there since."
Dacres stopped, and sat silent for a long time.
"Could she have been mad?" asked Hawbury.
"I used to think so, but I believe not. She showed too much sense in
every thing relating to herself. She sold pictures and timber, and
kept every penny. She was acute enough in grasping all she could.
During our last interviews while making these arrangements she was
perfectly cool and lady-like.
"Have you ever heard about her since?"
"Never."
"Is she alive yet?"
"That's the bother."
"What! don't you know?"
"No."
"Haven't you ever tried to find out?"
"Yes. Two years ago I went and had inquiries made at Exeter. Nothing
could be found out. She and her father had left the place immediately
after my departure, and nothing was known about them."
"I wonder that you didn't go yourself?"
"What for? I didn't care about seeing her or finding her."
"Do you think she's alive yet?"
"I'm afraid she is. You see she always had excellent health, and
there's no reason why she should not live to be an octogenarian."
"Yet she may be dead."
"_May_ be! And what sort of comfort is that to me in my present
position, I should like to know? _May_ be? Is that a sufficient
foundation for me to build on? No.
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