committee sat at the Buck's
Head, and the traffic in and out was enough to wear the stones away. The
bench of justices were remarkably warm over it, neglecting the judicial
business, and showing themselves at the Buck's Head windows in purple
and scarlet streamers.

"I will be with you in ten minutes," said Mr. Carlyle, withdrawing his
arm from Lord Mount Severn's, as they approached his office, "but I must
go in and read my letters."

So the earl went on to the Buck's Head, and Lord Vane took a foot canter
down to the Raven, to reconnoiter it outside. He was uncommonly fond of
planting himself where Sir Francis Levison's eyes were sure to fall upon
him--which eyes were immediately dropped, while the young gentleman's
would be fixed in an audacious stare. Being Lord Vane--or it may be more
correct to say, being the Earl of Mount Severn's son, and under control,
he was debarred from dancing and jeering after the yellow candidate, as
the unwashed gentry of his own age indulged in, but his tongue and his
feet itched to do it.

Mr. Carlyle took his seat in his private room, opened his letters,
assorted them, marked on the back of some what was to be the purport of
their answer, and then called in Mr. Dill. Mr. Carlyle put the letters
in his hand, gave some rapid instructions, and rose.

"You are in a hurry, Mr. Archibald?"

"They want me at the Buck's Head. Why?"

"A curious incident occurred to me last evening, sir. I was an
ear-witness to a dispute between Levison and Otway Bethel."

"Indeed!" carelessly replied Mr. Carlyle, who was busy at the time
looking for something in the deep drawer of the desk.

"And what I heard would go far to hang Levison, if not Bethel. As sure
as we are here, Mr. Archibald, they hold the secret of Hallijohn's
murder. It appears that Levison--"

"Stop!" interposed Mr. Carlyle. "I would prefer not to hear this.
Levison may have murdered him, but it is no affair of mine, neither
shall I make it such."

Old Dill felt checkmated. "Meanwhile Richard Hare suffers, Mr.
Archibald," he observed, in a remonstrating tone.

"I am aware he does."

"Is it right that the innocent should suffer for the guilty?"

"No; very wrong. But the case is all too common."

"If some one would take up Richard Hare's cause now, he might be proved
innocent," added the old man, with a wistful look at Mr. Carlyle.

"It is being taken up, Dill."

A pause and a glad look. "That's the best news I have had fo