hen Mrs. Garth added, half as comment and half as
question,--

"And likely ye've never had the scribe of a line from him sin' he
left. But he's no wanter; he'll never marry ye, lass, so ye need never
set heart on him."

Rotha stepped close to the woman and looked into her face. What
wickedness was now brewing?

"Nay, saucer een," said Mrs. Garth with a snirt, "art tryin' to
skiander me like yon saucy baggish, laal Liza?"

"Come, Mrs. Garth, let us understand one another," said Rotha
solemnly. "What is it you wish to tell me? You said my father had gone
on a bootless errand. What do you know about it? Tell me, and don't
torment me, woman."

"Nay, then, I've naught to say. Naught but that Ralph Ray is on the
stormy side of the hedge _this_ time."

Mrs. Garth laughed again.

"He is in trouble, that is true; but what has he done to you that you
should be glad at his misfortunes?"

"Done? done?" said Mrs. Garth; "why--but we'll not talk of that, my
lass. Ask _him_ if ye'd know. Or mayhap ye'll ask yon shaffles, yer
father."

What could the woman mean?

"Tak my word for it; never set heart on yon Ralph: he's a doomed man.
It's not for what he did at the wars that the redcoats trapes after
him. It's worse nor that--a lang way war' nor that."

"What is it, woman, that you would tell me? Be fair and plain with
me," cried the girl; and the words were scarcely spoken when she
despised herself for regarding the matter so seriously.

But Mrs. Garth leaned over to her with an ominous countenance, and
whispered, "There's murder in it, and that's war' nor war. May war'
never come among us, say I!" Rotha put her hands over her face, and
the next moment the woman shuffled on.

It was out at length.

Rotha staggered back to the house. The farm people had taken supper,
and were lounging in various attitudes of repose on the skemmel in the
kitchen.

The girl's duties were finished for the day, and she went up to her
own room. She had no light, and, without undressing, she threw herself
on the bed. But no rest came to her. Hour after hour she tossed about,
devising reason on reason for disbelieving the woman's word. But
apprehension compelled conviction.

Mrs. Garth had forewarned them of the earlier danger, and she might be
but too well informed concerning this later one.

Rotha rejected from the first all idea of Ralph being guilty of the
crime in question. She knew nothing of the facts, but her heart
instantly rep