ver blanched. But the sheriff was on his feet in a
moment. The fiscal commanded silence, ordering the court officer to
apprehend all who disobeyed. For the wise lawyer could see well ahead,
and knew that as yet they were only at the beginning of mysteries.

When silence was restored Euphrasia Orrin continued without losing a
moment, neither amazed nor alarmed at the manifestation.

"At Bristol I perceived that all this would certainly end in an
unpleasant discovery--yes, unpleasant" (she repeated the word as if in
response to the threatening murmurs!). "I was not responsible for my
poor brother, but I thought it would be well to remove him to a place
where there were no docks and fewer temptations. I bethought myself of
Leeds. We went there, but somehow Jeremy never took to Leeds. He
wandered off by himself to London, associating with horse-coupers and
gipsies by the way. Suddenly he disappeared. I heard no more of him
till at our famine-bare garret a letter arrived containing a hundred
pounds in Bank of England notes--and an address." Miss Orrin put her
hand into a trim little reticule which was attached to her waist, and
drew out a single sheet of paper, on which was written in a sprawling
hand: "_H. Stennis, Pattern Designer and Weaver, Burnside Cottage,
Breckonside, Bordershire, N.B._"

At this moment I noticed that Mr. Ablethorpe had for the first time
left the side of the speaker--though Mr. De la Poer continued to stand
on attention, his shoulder almost touching the dark veil which fell
away to one side of Aphra's face, and threw into relief her determined
chin. Mr. Ablethorpe was speaking to my father. My astonishment was
still greater when I saw my father rise quietly and leave the
courthouse. With a crook of his finger he summoned Rob Kingsman, and,
without either of them paying the least attention to me, both left the
room. Then I was certain that my father did not wish to attract
attention by calling me away. Perhaps, also, he wanted first-hand
evidence of what happened after he was gone. Anyway, he did not put
himself at all out of the way at the thought of leaving me in the lurch
at Longtown with the night falling. It was, of course, different from
what it had been before the burning of Deep Moat Grange. People began
to go the roads freely again.

Once more Mr. Ablethorpe took up his position. The sheriff had stopped
taking notes, so absorbed was he in what he heard. As for the fisca