and his soul dried away.

The service came to an end, and he strode off, turning from every
face; but John Fairbrother tripped after him on the road, touched him
on the arm, looked up at him with a smirk, and said:--

"Then you don't know where she is?"

"Who?" said Jason.

"Then you _don't_ know, eh?" said John, with a meaning look.

"Who d'ye mean?--Greeba?"

"Just so. She's gone, though I warrant it's fetching coals to
Newcastle to tell you so."

Hearing that, Jason pushed Gentleman John out of his way with a lunge
that sent the dandy reeling, and bounded off towards Lague.

"Aw, well," muttered John, "you'd really think he _didn't_ know."

The woman in crape who had followed Jason out of the church, thinking
to speak to him, said: "Lave him alone. It's the spirit of the Lord
that's strivin' with him."

And old Davy, who came up at the moment, said: "Divils ma'am--divils
in the head."

When Jason got to Lague he found the other Fairbrothers assembled
there. Asher had missed Greeba the night before, and on rising late
that morning--Sunday morning--he had so far conquered his laziness as
to walk round to his brothers' houses and inquire for her. All six,
except John, had then trudged back to Lague, thinking in their slow
way to start a search, and they began their quest by ransacking
Greeba's room. There they found two letters in a chest, clearly
forgotten in a hasty leave-taking. One of them was Greeba's
abandoned letter to Red Jason, the other was the letter of Michael
Sunlocks to Greeba. The Fairbrothers read both with grim wonderment,
and Jacob put Greeba's letter in his pocket. They were discussing the
letter of Sunlocks as Jason entered; and they fell back at sight of
his ashy face and the big beads of sweat that dropped from it.

"What's this? Where is she?" he said, and his powerful voice shook.

Without a word they handed him the letter, and he glanced it over and
turned it in his hands, like one who does not see or cannot read.

"Where's she gone?" he said again, lifting his helpless eyes to the
faces about him.

"The devil knows," said Jacob; "but see--read--'Michael Sunlocks,'"
running his finger along the signature.

At that a groan like the growl of a beast came from Jason's throat,
and like a baited dog he looked around, not yet knowing on whom his
wrath should fasten.

"It's very simple. It's plain to see that she has gone to him," said
Jacob.

And then Jason's face was crossed