than Richard, was one called
Thorn, by social position a gentleman. He was a stranger, and used to
ride over in secret. The night of the murder came--the dreadful murder,
when Hallijohn was shot down dead. Richard ran away; testimony was
strong against him, and the coroner's jury brought in a verdict of
'Wilful Murder against Richard Hare the younger.' We never supposed but
what he was guilty--of the act, mind you, not of the intention; even
mamma, who so loved him, believed he had done it; but she believed it
was the result of accident, not design. Oh, the trouble that has been
the lot of my poor mamma!" cried Barbara, clasping her hands. "And she
had no one to sympathize with her--no one, no one! I, as I tell you, was
little more than a child; and papa, who might have done it, took part
against Richard. It went on for three or four years, the sorrow, and
there was no mitigation. At the end of that period Richard came for a
few hours to West Lynne--came in secret--and we learnt for the first
time that he was _not_ guilty. The man who did the deed was Thorn;
Richard was not even present. The next question was, how to find Thorn.
Nobody knew anything about him--who he was, what he was, where he came
from, where he went to; and thus more years passed on. Another Thorn
came to West Lynne--an officer in her majesty's service; and his
appearance tallied with the description Richard had given. I assumed
it to be the one; Mr. Carlyle assumed it; but, before anything could be
done or even thought of Captain Thorn was gone again."

Barbara paused to take breath, Madame Vine sat listless enough. What was
this tale to her?

"Again years went on. The period came of Francis Levison's sojourn at
East Lynne. Whilst I was there, Captain Thorn arrived once more, on
a visit to the Herberts. We then strove to find out points of his
antecedents, Mr. Carlyle and I, and we became nearly convinced that he
was the man. I had to come here often to see Mr. Carlyle, for mamma did
not dare to stir in the affair, papa was so violent against Richard.
Thus I often saw Francis Levison; but he was visible to scarcely any
other visitor, being at East Lynne _en cachette_. He intimated that he
was afraid of encountering creditors. I now begin to doubt whether that
was not a false plea; and I remember Mr. Carlyle said, at the time, that
he had no creditors in or near West Lynne."

"Then what was his motive for shunning society--for never going out?"
in