mercy in his tone, and Afy turned white. Sir John Dobede
interposed.

"Young woman, had _you_ a hand in the murder of your father?"

"I?" returned Afy, struggling with passion, temper, and excitement.
"How dare you ask me such an unnatural question, sir? He was the kindest
father," she added, battling with her tears. "I loved him dearly. I
would have saved his life with mine."

"And yet you refuse to give evidence that may assist in bringing his
destroyer to justice."

"No; I don't refuse on that score. I should like his destroyer to be
hanged, and I'd go to see it. But who knows what other questions you may
be asking me, about things that concerned neither you nor anybody else?
That's why I object."

"We have only to deal with what bears upon the murder. The questions put
to you will relate to that."

Afy considered. "Well, you may swear me, then," she said.

Little notion had she of the broad gauge those questions would run upon.
And she was sworn accordingly. Very unwillingly yet; for Afy, who would
have told lies by the bushel _un_sworn, did look upon an oath as a
serious matter, and felt herself compelled to speak the truth when
examined under it.

"How did you become acquainted with a gentleman you often saw in those
days--Captain Thorn?"

"There," uttered the dismayed Afy. "You are beginning already. _He_ had
nothing to do with it--he did not do the murder."

"You have sworn to answer the questions put," was the uncompromising
rejoinder. "How did you become acquainted with Captain Thorn?"

"I met him at Swainson," doggedly answered Afy. "I went over there one
day, just for a spree, and I met him at a pastrycook's."

"And he fell in love with your pretty face?" said Lawyer Ball, taking up
the examination.

In the incense to her vanity, Afy nearly forgot her scruples. "Yes, he
did," she answered, casting a smile of general satisfaction round upon
the court.

"And got out of you where you lived, and entered upon his courting,
riding over nearly every evening to see you?"

"Well," acknowledged Afy, "there was no harm in it."

"Oh, certainly not!" acquiesced the lawyer, in a pleasant, free tone,
to put the witness at her ease. "Rather good, I should say: I wish I had
had the like luck. Did you know him at the time by the name of Levison?"

"No! He said he was Captain Thorn, and I thought he was."

"Did you know where he lived?"

"No! He never said that. I thought he was stopping temporarily at