 these people as a violent anti-Christian. Malkin refused to believe
the story of his going in for the Church - it sounded to him a mere joke. Then
came out the fact that he had written this article. They all knew about it.«
    He saw a flush of shame upon Sidwell's half-hidden face. It gratified him.
He was resolved to let her taste all the bitterness of her folly.
    »It seems pretty clear that the Moxeys - at all events Miss Moxey - knew the
rascally part he was playing. Whether they wished to unmask him, or not, I can't
say. Perhaps not. Yet I caught an odd look on Miss Moxey's face when that man
Malkin began to talk of Peak's characteristics and achievements. It came out,
by-the-bye, that he had given all his acquaintances the slip; they had
completely lost sight of him - I suppose until Miss Moxey met him by chance at
Budleigh Salterton. There's some mystery still. She evidently kept Peak's secret
from the Moorhouses and the Walworths. A nice business, altogether!«
    Again there was a long silence. Then Sidwell raised her face and said,
abruptly:
    »You may be quite mistaken.«
    »How?«
    »You went to Mr. Peak in a spirit of enmity and anger. It is not likely he
would explain himself. You may have quite misunderstood what he said.«
    »Ridiculous! You mean that he was perhaps converted after writing this
article? - Then why did he allow it to be published?«
    »He did not sign it. He may have been unable to withdraw it from the
editor's hands.«
    »Bosh! He didn't sign it, because the idea of this Exeter campaign came
between the reception and the appearance of his paper. In the ordinary course of
things, he would have been only too glad to see his name in The Critical. The
scoundrelly project was conceived perhaps the very day that I brought him here -
perhaps in that moment - at lunch, do you remember? - when he began to talk of
the sermon at the Cathedral?«
    »Why did he go to the Cathedral and hear that sermon?«
    »To amuse a Sunday morning, I suppose.«
    »That is not very likely in a man who hates and ridicules religion.«
    »It is decidedly more probable than the idea of his conversion.«
    Sidwell fell back again into her brooding attitude.
    »The reason of your mistake in judging him,«
