e outrage with horror, and offered a
considerable reward.

Outsiders were taken in by this, but not a single manufacturer or
workman.

Mr. Holdfast denounced it as a Trade outrage, and Ransome groped the
town for evidence.

The latter, however, was rather puzzled one day by an anonymous letter
telling him he was all on the wrong tack; it was not a Trade job, but
contrived by a gentleman for his private ends. Advantage had been taken
of Little being wrong with the Trade; "but," said the letter, "you
should look to the head for the motive, not to the hands. One or two saw
them together a good many times before the deed was done, and the swell
was seen on the very bridge when the explosion took place."

This set Ransome thinking very seriously and comparing notes.

Week after week went by and left the mystery unsolved.

Mr. Coventry saw Mr. Carden nearly every day, and asked him was there
no news of Little? The answer was always in the negative, and this
surprised Coventry more and more.

When a whole month had elapsed, even he began to fancy strange things,
and to nurse wild projects that had never entered his head before.
He studied books of medical jurisprudence, and made all manner of
experiments. He resumed his intimacy with Cole, and they were often
closeted together.

Five weeks had elapsed, and Grace Carden had lost all her feverish
energy, and remained passive, lethargic, fearing every thing, hoping
nothing, but quivering all day with expectation of the next blow; for
what had she left to expect now but sorrow in some form or other?

She often wished to visit Jael Dence again at the hospital; but for some
time an invincible repugnance withheld her.

She asked Dr. Amboyne to go instead, and question the unhappy girl.

Dr. Amboyne did so; but Jael was now in a half-stupid condition, and her
poor brain not clear enough to remember what she was wanted to remember.
Her memory was full of gaps, and, unluckily, one of these gaps embraced
the whole period between her battle with Hill and the present time.

At last Grace was irritated, and blamed the doctor for his failure.

She reminded him she had herself magnetized Jael, and had almost made
her speak. She resolved to go to the hospital herself. "I'll make her
tell me one thing," said she, "though I tear her heart out, and my own
too."

She dressed plainly, and walked rapidly down toward the hospital. There
were two ways to it, but she chose the one that