reant to the high duty of punishing his murderers?
The ghost of William Zane admonishes me that there can be no repose for
my spirit until I take in hand the work of vengeance. Yes, if women
have been accessory to that murder, they shall not be spared. Miss Agnes
is under surveillance; let her be blameless, or beware!"

CHAPTER VI.

ENCOMPASSED.

"He looks scared out of last year's growth," remarked Podge Byerly when
Duff Salter came down-stairs next day.

"Happy for him, dear, he is not able to hear what is around him in this
place!" exclaimed Agnes aloud.

They always talked freely before their guest, and he could scarcely be
alarmed even by an explosion.

Duff wrote on his tablets during breakfast:

"I must employ a smart man to do errands for me, and rid me of some of
the burdens of this deafness. Do you know of any one?"

"A mere laborer?" inquired Agnes.

"Well, an old-fashioned, still-mouthed fellow like myself--one who can
understand my dumb motions."

Agnes shook her head.

Said Duff Salter to himself:

"She don't want me to find such an one, I guess." Then, with the tablets
again, he added, "It's necessary for me to hunt a man at once, and keep
him here on the premises, close by me. I have almost finished up this
work of auditing and clearing the estate. I intend now to pay some
attention to the tragedy, accident, or whatever it was, that led to Mr.
Zane's cutting off. You will second me warmly in this, I am sure."

Agnes turned pale, and felt the executor's eyes upon her.

Podge Byerly was pale too.

Duff Salter did not give them any opportunity to recover composure.

"To leave the settlement of this estate with such a cloud upon it would
be false to my trust, to my great friend's memory, and, I may add, to
all here. There is a mystery somewhere which has not been pierced. It is
very probably a domestic entanglement. I shall expect you (to Agnes),
and you, too," turning to Podge, "to be absolutely frank with me. Miss
Agnes, have you seen Andrew Zane since his father's body was brought
into this house!"

Agnes looked around helplessly and uncertain. She took the tablets to
write a reply. Something seemed to arise in her mind to prevent the
intention. She burst into tears and left the table.

"Ha!" thought Duff Salter grimly, "there will be no confession there.
Then, little Miss Byerly, I will try to throw off its guard thy saucy
perversity; for surely these two women understand e