slightly from side to side.

"If you don't believe in it," demanded Mr. Plimpton, "why the deuce don't
you drop it?"

"It's because of my loyalty," said Langmaid. "I wouldn't desert my pals.
I couldn't bear, Wallis, to see you go to the guillotine without me."

Mr. Plimpton became unpleasantly silent.

"Well, you may think it's a joke," he resumed, after a moment, "but
there will be a guillotine if we don't look out. That confounded parson
is getting ready to spring something, and I'm going to give Mr. Parr a
tip. He'll know how to handle him. He doesn't talk much, but I've got an
idea, from one or two things he let drop, that he's a little suspicious
of a change in Hodder. But he ought to be waived."

"You're in no condition to talk to Mr. Parr, or to anyone else, except
your wife, Walks," Langmaid said. "You'd better go home, and let me see
Mr. Parr. I'm responsible for Mr. Hodder, anyway."

"All right," Mr. Plimpton agreed, as though he had gained some shred of
comfort from this thought. "I guess you're in worse than any of us."

Volume 6.

CHAPTER XX. THE ARRAIGNMENT

I

Looking backward, Hodder perceived that he had really come to the
momentous decision of remaining at St. John's in the twilight of an
evening when, on returning home from seeing Kate Marcy at Mr. Bentley's
he had entered the darkening church. It was then that his mission
had appeared to him as a vision. Every day, afterward, his sense and
knowledge of this mission had grown stronger.

To his mind, not the least of the trials it was to impose upon him, and
one which would have to be dealt with shortly, was a necessary talk with
his assistant, McCrae. If their relationship had from the beginning been
unusual and unsatisfactory, adjectives would seem to defy what it had
become during the summer. What did McCrae think of him? For Hodder
had, it will be recalled, bidden his assistant good-by--and then had
remained. At another brief interview, during which McCrae had betrayed
no surprise, uttered no censure or comment, Hodder had announced
his determination to remain in the city, and to take no part in the
services. An announcement sufficiently astounding. During the months
that followed, they had met, at rare intervals, exchanged casual
greetings, and passed on. And yet Hodder had the feeling, more firmly
planted than ever, that McCrae was awaiting, with an interest which
might be called suspense, the culmination of the proces