He will find it hard to escape after this." _He!_ I had been dreading to hear a _she_.

Yet why?
Who on God's earth, save myself, could know that Carmel had been within these woeful walls to-night.

_He!_ I never stopped to question who was meant by this definite pronoun.

I was not even conscious of caring very much.

I was in a coil of threatening troubles, but I was in it alone, and, greatly relieved by the discovery, I drew myself up and stepped quickly forward into the room where the two officials stood.
Their faces, as they wheeled sharply about and took in my shoeless and more or less dishevelled figure, told me with an eloquence which made my heart sink, the unfortunate impression which my presence made upon them.
It was but a fleeting look, for these men were both by nature and training easy masters of themselves; but its language was unmistakable and I knew that if I were to hold my own with them, I must get all the support I could from the truth, save where it would involve her--from the truth and my own consciousness of innocence, if I had any such consciousness.