Durrance spoke them with a
smile upon his face. It took her a long time to understand that he had
actually spoken them. She was not sure at the first that her
overstrained senses were not playing her tricks; but he repeated his
question, and she could no longer disbelieve or misunderstand.
"Who told you of any fourth feather?" she asked.
"Trench," he answered. "I met him at Dover. But he only told me of the
fourth feather," said Durrance. "I knew of the three before. Trench
would never have told me of the fourth had I not known of the three. For
I should not have met him as he landed from the steamer at Dover. I
should not have asked him, 'Where is Harry Feversham?' And for me to
know of the three was enough."
"How do you know?" she cried in a kind of despair, and coming close to
her he took gently hold of her arm.
"But since I know," he protested, "what does it matter how I know? I
have known a long while, ever since Captain Willoughby came to The Pool
with the first feather. I waited to tell you that I knew until Harry
Feversham came back, and he came to-day."
Ethne sat down in her chair again. She was stunned by Durrance's
unexpected disclosure.
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