face on her knees.

Marcella had a sudden sick vision of the horrors this poor creature must
have gone through since her husband had appeared to her, splashed with
the blood of his enemy, under that same marvellous moon which--

Her mind repelled its own memories with haste. Moreover, she was aware
of the inspector standing at the kitchen door and beckoning to her. She
stole across to him so softly that Mrs. Hurd did not hear her.

"We have found all we want," he said in his official tone, but under his
breath--"the clothes anyway. We must now look for the gun. Jenkins is
first going to take him off to Widrington. The inquest will be held
to-morrow here, at 'The Green Man.' We shall bring him over." Then he
added in another voice, touching his hat, "I don't like leaving you,
miss, in this place. Shall Jenkins go and fetch somebody to look after
that poor thing? They'll be all swarming in here as soon as we've gone."

"No, I'll stay for a while. I'll look after her. They won't come in if
I'm here. Except his sister--Mrs. Mullins--she may come in, of course,
if she wants."

The inspector hesitated.

"I'm going now to meet Mr. Raeburn, miss. I'll tell him that you're
here."

"He knows," said Marcella, briefly. "Now are you ready?"

He signed assent, and Marcella went back to the wife.

"Mrs. Hurd," she said, kneeling on the ground beside her, "they're
going."

The wife sprang up with a cry and ran into the kitchen, where Hurd was
already on his feet between Jenkins and another policeman, who were to
convey him to the gaol at Widrington. But when she came face to face
with her husband something--perhaps the nervous appeal in his strained
eyes--checked her, and she controlled herself piteously. She did not
even attempt to kiss him. With her eyes on the ground, she put her hand
on his arm. "They'll let me come and see you, Jim?" she said, trembling.

"Yes; you can find out the rules," he said shortly. "Don't let them
children cry. They want their breakfast to warm them. There's plenty of
coal. I brought a sack home from Jellaby's last night myself. Good-bye."

"Now, march," said the inspector, sternly, pushing the wife back.

Marcella put her arm round the shaking woman. The door opened; and
beyond the three figures as they passed out, her eye passed to the
waiting crowd, then to the misty expanse of common and the dark woods
behind, still wrapped in fog.

When Mrs. Hurd saw the rows of people waiting within