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She stopped here, cleared her throat, and then her words were hesitant as she went on, 'As I know from experience

267that . . . business must be attended to if one is to sue . . . ceed.'Her voice trailed away as her mind yelled. Succeed! Succeed! She had wanted Joe to succeed. She had been chastising herself for days now . . . no, not for days, particular thoughts such as hers could only be chastised in the night, for it was then she would tell herself she should have done what she had wanted to do when first she had taken over from her father. Joe was still a young fellow then and would have jumped at the chance to go to school, to a real school with the prospect of going on to college, there to be really educated, and, what was equally important, to be polished, to have the rough edges smoothed down, made acceptable to ...

Oh lord. Oh lord. There was a great rough-edged lump rising from her stomach to her throat. It was choking her; and now her gasping breath was breaking the outer shell and there was water spouting from her eyes, nose and mouth, and she was moaning aloud.Douglas was holding her tightly to him. He wasn't saying, There! There! Cry, that's it,' he was saying nothing at all, he just held 268her shaking body, and his own too was shaking for never before had he embraced a woman like this.

He had danced with young ladies, his one hand on their waist, the other outstretched supporting the tips of their fingers, but never had his body as yet been close to that of a woman-he could not even remember the touch of his mother-but here he was holding Bridget tightly to him, cradling her, in fact, and his being was being swamped by a revelation brought into life by her sorrowing for another man.

13She was standing looking at Joe. There was a table between them. The room was small and there was a policeman standing with his back to the door.Joe was speaking. He was saying in a strangely ordinary voice, 'I've told Lily, miss, that you said you would look after her, and the bairn. And I told her not to worry; we've all got to go sometime.''Oh, Joe.''Don't frash yourself. You get used to the idea, you know.'He now glanced at the policeman standing to the left of him. Then he bowed his head for a moment before placing his hands on the table and bending towards her. He said, with a touch of his old spirit, The road would be more bearable, miss, if I had done

270what I'd said many a time I would do. But I didn't do it. You believe me, miss, I didn't do it?''Yes.

Yes, Joe, I believe you.'He straightened up, then glanced at the seemingly immobile policeman again before having to draw spittle into his mouth to enable him to say, 'Will you do somethin' for me, miss?''Anything. Anything in the world, Joe.''Will you, if you can, try to get to the bottorn of it?'She paused a moment; then answered him with deep emphasis, 'Yes, Joe. I promise you that.''It won't do me much good, but . . . but it'll show them I wasn't lying.'*Yes. Yes, Joe, it'll show them.'The still figure at the door now stirred and Joe said, 'Well, good-bye, miss.' He held out his hand towards her and she gripped it in both of hers. But she couldn't speak. When she let go of it he moved backwards from the table the two or three steps before turning away and going through the door that the policeman was holding open for him.

271She herself was leaning over the table gripping its edge for support when another policeman came in and, with a gentle hand on her arm, brought her upwards and led her from the room, along a passage and into the hallway where Douglas was waiting. He now took her over from the policeman, acknowledging his support by an inclination of his head, then led Bridget out and into the street to the waiting carriage.After helping her inside, he paused a moment, his foot on the step, saying, 'We won't go home straightaway; we'll stop at an hotel. You must have a drink and I need fortifying, too.' And with that he looked up at Danny and gave him directions to a particular hotel.In the carriage he immediately placed his arm around her shoulders, saying, 'I should have told you not to go, that you shouldn't go, but I know that would have been fruitless. Could . . . could you tell how he's taking it?'It was some time before she answered, and there was a note of surprise in her voice as she said, 'Quite . . . quite calmly. It was strange, he was much less disturbed than I

272was, except . . . except for one moment when he made a request of me.''Well, that's to be expected that he would want you to look after Lily.''Oh, it wasn't that. I would have done that in any case. I have that all worked out. No; he asked me if I would try to get to the bottorn of this, in other words, find out who the real culprit is.''Oh, dear, dear, that's a tall order. It would be better all round if the matter were to be dropped now, because just think of the consequences of your finding out who really did kill his brother, if Joe didn't. Everybody, the whole country I should imagine, would be up in arms at the miscarriage of justice. As for the man's family, and I suppose he has some sort of family, the exposure would be unthinkable.'Bridget made no answer to this, but only thought: Yes, the exposure would be unthinkable.It was on the last Friday in May that Joe was hanged in Durham jail, and it was on this day, too, that the national newspapers gave front headlines to the event, as they had 273done on the day that he had been convicted of the murder of his brother. And it was from this date, also, that the unwinding of the tragedy began.

1

Some days had passed during which Bridget had done a great deal of thinking and life seemed to have fallen back into its old routine: she met her agent; and she saw to business where she thought it was necessary, and part of her business was to visit Lily. She was worried about Lily, for, as Mrs Leary had said to her confidentially, it was unnatural that the girl wasn't crying and had never shed a tear, not to her knowledge.Then there was Douglas. She had not seen him since he had accompanied her home after her last visit to Joe. Although she was somewhat surprised at this, she again told herself that he, too, was in business and so couldn't spend his days in social visiting.One good thing, however, had transpired over the past few days. Last evening Victoria

278had called and apologized for her outburst, the while declaring how much she had missed her, and that Lionel had returned from London the previous day and there seemed to be the promise of an appointment in the offing. It had something to do with shipping, and was connected with cargoes. But he didn't look well, he had a severe cold. And at parting Victoria had put her arms around her and surprisingly said, 6l don't know what I'd do if I hadn't you still to come to.' So things were definitely back to normal, as normal as they would ever be after the past few months.Today she had gone by train into Newcastle. Danny had driven her from the house to the station, but as she didn't know what time she would return she had told him she would take a cab. And that's what she was now doing, but not to go back home for she was once again making her way to Lily's house, to tell her the plans she had arranged for her future.After alighting from the cab she asked the cabbie to wait: she could be fifteen minutes or a little more, and the man assured her he would wait as long as she wished. For once 1 279she found Lily alone, and of this she was glad, for now she would have no need to say to the kindly but voluble neighbour that she wished to speak to Lily on a matter of some business.She began as usual by saying, 'How is the baby?' It was no use asking, 'How are you, Lily?' because Lily's face expressed totally how she felt, numb, dead within herself,And Lily answered as usual, 'He's fine, miss. He's fine.''Come and sit down, Lily.' She took the hand of what had been only a short time ago a happy young girl, but who now appeared like a life-weary woman, and she said, 'Sit down. I have something 1 want to discuss with you. First of all, have you thought about what you are going to do?''Yes, miss, go back to the factory.''But what about the baby?''I'd have to put him out to nurse. Mrs | Leary would look after him.*'Mrs Leary is a very good woman, I know, Lily, but she and her family are of a roughish type and children are very impressionable, even babies, and I'm sure Joe would have wanted the best for your child.'

280As she watched Lily's head droop on to her chest, she said softly, 'We must mention his name, Lily.

He would want that, he wouldn't want to be forgotten.'The head came up with a jerk. 'He'll never be forgotten, miss, never! Nor what's happened him.''I know. I know. Well, now, I've got a proposal to make to you. As you know, I've always had Joe's and your welfare at heart, and so what I would like to do is for you to take up a position in my household. It may not be work that you have been used to but I'm sure you would soon learn. Your child would be brought up in a different atmosphere and I would see to his education and . . .'She almost toppled backwards with her chair, as the table was thrust towards her by the violent movement Lily made in rising from her stool; and now in amazement she watched the young woman turn to the cradle, then grab up her child and stand holding it pressed tightly to her, as she almost yelled, 'In your house at Milton Place! Near him! where he could drop in ... with your cousin? No! No! No!' Now she swung round

V281and her body seemed almost to bend in two over the child, and she was gasping as she cried, 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But no, no way. Thank you, no way.'Slowly Bridget walked round the table and, stopping in front of Lily, put her arms about her shoulders, so bringing her up straight, and in a low voice she said, 'What did you mean by that, Lily?''Nothin', miss. Nothin'. It just came out. NothinV'Don't tell me "nothing". Look at me. Look at me straight in the face.'When Lily raised her head and looked her straight in the face they both remained silent while Bridget's mind was actually gabbling, Him! He's the father? Dear God! him . . . And Joe must have known.When she eventually spoke she could hardly recognize her own voice, such was the fierce anger in its tone: 'Mr Filmore, my cousin's husband, he is the father of your child? And . . . and that's why Joe wouldn't mention him? He told me he knew who it was. Oh, why, why didn't he speak out?'Compared with her own, Lily's voice 282sounded calm as she answered, * 'Twouldn't have been any use. 'Twas nothin' to do with it, I mean with what happened to Fred. And . . . and he wanted to save you and Miss Victoria trouble, as she was about to be married. But mostly he didn't want you to be troubled. Tis done now, 'tis done. But you see, miss, although I thank you for your concern an' all you've done, I could never go and live with you, no matter what you could do for the boy. Though it would have been a good chance for both of us. But now, miss, I think you must do what Joe did and keep mum, because if you don't there will be more lives spoilt. What happened was as much my fault as anybody's. I was a stupid, ignorant girl, but as I've come to look at it, God works in a strange way because through it I got Joe, even for a short time, I got Joe.

Oh, miss-' She quickly put the child back into the basket and it was now her turn to support Bridget, saying, 'Sit down, miss, sit down.'Bridget sat down and, leaning her elbow on the table, she cupped her face in her hands. She felt strangely ill, not only at the revelation that Lionel Filmore was the father 283of the child lying there in the wash basket, but also by the dreadful feeling of hate that was consuming her at the thought of what he had done to a young girl, a young ignorant working girl. What chance would she have had against such as him? Apart from his pseudo charm and power of persuasion, there was his strength. 'Would you like a cup of tea, miss?' 'Yes. Yes, thank you, Lily. I think I would.'When Lily went into the scullery she turned slowly and looked down on the infant now lying in the cradle again. This was his son. What would happen if she were to confront him with the knowledge and tell him that such knowledge had put paid to their agreement? She knew what would happen: he would likely lead Victoria one hell of a life. But what would Victoria's response be to the knowledge? Would she leave him? She doubted it. She would likely, as so many other women before her had done, come to accept it as part of a man's privilege during his bachelor state. But, on the other hand, what if she decided to leave him and come back to her? Would she want that? No. No.M^il

284That was strange thinking; but she wouldn't want Victoria back into her life. Her marrying could be likened to the passing of the responsibility of a daughter on to someone else. Her own life was much freer now, and it would have been over the past months too but for the trauma attached to Joe's imprisonment and his final end.Well, there was one thing sure already in her mind, she could no longer live within visiting distance of Victoria and listen to her prattling about her coming child. And were he to accompany her at times, as very likely he would, she would not be accountable for her own reactions.Another thought entering her mind begged an explanation; and she put it to Lily, who had just placed the thick china cup of tea in front of her.'Did . . . did he know about your condition, Lily?''Oh, yes, miss, he knew all right. I

... I wrote him a letter because I was frightened. I felt me da would turn me out in the street an' it would just be the workhouse for me. So, as I said, I wrote him a letter an' told him where I would be one Sunday. He came

285on his horse and gave me a bag with five sovereigns in it and said that was that. Then he rode off.

And I knew I had no place to put the money, in fact I didn't know what was in the bag, so I dug a hole in the hedge an' hid it there. Then, to tell you the truth, miss, I nearly jumped out of me wits when Joe caught up with me near the factory an' he handed me the bag. Him and Fred had been blackberrying on yon side of the hedge and they heard it all.''Never!''Yes; 'tis true, miss.''But Fred knew as well?''Oh yes, miss, Fred knew.'Bridget closed her eyes. Fred had known, the dead man had known. She had believed Joe when he said he hadn't killed him.She opened her eyes again and looked to where Lily was standing staring down into the fire. 'Joe said straightaway he would marry me. I couldn't believe it an' I didn't love him then, 'cos like the idiot that I was, I was still taken with t'other one. But I quickly grew to love him.