him as Captain
Thorn."

"_Captain_ Thorn?"

"Afy Hallijohn called him captain; but I understood he was but a
lieutenant."

"From whom did you understand that?"

"From Afy. She was the only person I heard speak of him."

"And you say you were in the habit of seeing him in the place mentioned,
the Abbey Wood?"

"I saw him there repeatedly; also at Hallijohn's cottage."

"Did you speak with him as Thorn?"

"Two or three times. I addressed him as Thorn, and he answered to
the name. I had no suspicion but that it was his name. Otway
Bethel"--casting his eyes on Mr. Otway, who stood in his shaggy
attire--"also knew him as Thorn, and so I have no doubt, did Locksley,
for he was always in the wood."

"Anybody else?"

"Poor Hallijohn himself knew him as Thorn. He said to Afy one day, in
my presence, that he would not have that confounded dandy, Thorn, coming
there."

"Were those the words he used?"

"They were; 'that confounded dandy Thorn.' I remember Afy's reply--it
was rather insolent. She said Thorn was as free to come there as anybody
else, and she would not be found fault with, as though she was not fit
to take care of herself."

"That is nothing to the purpose. Were any others acquainted with this
Thorn?"

"I should imagine the elder sister, Joyce, was. And the one who knew him
best of all of us was young Richard Hare."

_Old_ Richard Hare, from his place on the bench, frowned menacingly at
an imaginary Richard.

"What took Thorn into the wood so often?"

"He was courting Afy."

"With an intention of marrying her?"

"Well--no," cried Mr. Ebenezer, with a twist of the mouth; "I should not
suppose he entertained any intention of the sort. He used to come over
from Swainson, or its neighborhood, riding a splendid horse."

"Whom did you suppose him to be?"

"I supposed him to be moving in the upper ranks of life. There was no
doubt of it. His dress, his manners, his tone, all proclaimed it. He
appeared to wish to shun observation, and evidently did not care to be
seen by any of us. He rarely arrived until twilight."

"Did you see him there on the night of Hallijohn's murder?"

"No. I was not there myself that evening, so could not have seen him."

"Did a suspicion cross your mind at any time that he may have been
guilty of the murder?"

"Never. Richard Hare was accused of it by universal belief, and it never
occurred to me to suppose he had not done it."

"Pray, how many years is this ago