nd might not be back for some time.

She opened the door with her latch-key, and, to her great surprise, was
confronted at once by Sarah, her face swollen, and her eyes red with
weeping.

"Sarah! why--have you heard the dreadful news already?" said Miss
Brooke.

"Have _you_ heard it, is more the question, I'm thinking?" said Sarah,
grimly.

"Of course you mean--about poor Mr. Trent?"

"More than that, ma'am. However, here's a letter from master to you, and
that'll tell you more than I can do." And Sarah, handed a note to her
mistress, and retired to the back of the hall, sniffing audibly.

Miss Brooke walked into the dining-room and opened the note. Caspar had
gone out, she gathered from the fact of his having written to her at
all: perhaps he had heard of Oliver Trent's death, and had gone to offer
his services to Maurice, or to assist in discovering the murderer. So
she thought to herself; and then she began to read the note.

In another minute Sarah heard a strange, muffled cry; and running into
the room found that Miss Brooke had sunk down on the sofa, and was
trembling in every limb. Her brother's letter was crushed within her
hand.

"What does it mean, Sarah?--what does it mean?" she stammered, with a
face so white and eyes so terror-stricken that Sarah took her to task at
once.

"It means a great, big lie, ma'am, that's all it means. Why, you ain't
going to be put about by that, I hope, when master himself says--as he
said to me--that he'd be home afore night! I'm ashamed of you, looking
as pale as you do, and you a doctor and all!"

"Did he say to you he would be home before night?" said Miss Brooke
collecting herself a little, but still looking very white.

Sarah took a step nearer to her, and spoke in a low voice. "Nobody else
in the house knows where he's gone," she said, "but I know, for master
called me himself, and told me what they wanted him for. It was two men
in plain clothes, and there was a cab outside and a p'liceman on the
box. 'Of course it's all a mistake, Sarah,' he said to me, as
light-hearted as you please, 'and don't let Miss Lesley or your Missus
be anxious. I dare say I shall be back in an hour or two.' And then he
asked the men if he might write a note, and they let him, though they
read it as he wrote, the nasty wretches!"--and Sarah snorted
contemptuously, while she wiped away a tear from her left eye with her
apron.

"But it is so extraordinary--so ridiculous!" said Miss