mpatiently in charge of the second constable for a report of what had
been done.

As the rector went on, Distin looked keenly round and then bent down
over the leaves which bore the ugly stains, and without noticing that
the constable had stolen so closely to him, that when he raised his head
he found himself gazing full in the man's searching eyes.

"Very horrid, sir, aren't it," he said.

"Yes, yes, horrible," cried Distin, hastily, and he turned sharply round
to follow the rector.

At that moment the constable touched him on the shoulder with the broken
stick, and Distin started round and in spite of himself shivered at the
sight of the pieces.

"Yes," he said hoarsely, as his face now was ghastly. "You want to
speak to me?"

"Yes, sir, just a word or two. Would you mind telling me where you was
yesterday afternoon--say from four to six o'clock?"

"I--I don't remember," said Distin. "Why do you ask?"

"The law has a right to ask questions, sir, and doesn't always care
about answering of them," said the man with a twinkle of the eye. "You
say you don't know where you was?"

"No. I am not sure. At the rectory, I think."

"You aren't sure, sir, but at the rectory, you think. Got rather a bad
memory, haven't you, sir?"

"No, excellent," cried Distin desperately.

"You says as you was at the rectory yesterday afternoon when this here
was done?"

"How do you know it was done in the afternoon," said Distin, quickly.

"Reason one, 'cause the young gent went in the afternoon to Lenby.
Reason two, 'cause he was digging them trifles o' taters, and young
gents don't go digging them in the dark. That do, sir?"

"Yes. I feel sure now that I was at the rectory," said Distin, firmly.

"Then I must ha' made a mistake, sir--eyes nothing like so good as they
was."

"What do you mean," cried Distin, changing colour once more.

"Oh, nothing, sir, nothing, only I made sure as I see you when I was out
in my garden picking apples in the big old tree which is half mine, half
my mate's. But of course it was my mistake. Thought you was going down
the deep lane."

"Oh, no, I remember now," said Distin, carelessly; "I go out so much to
think and study, that I often quite forget. Yes, I did go down the
lane--of course, and I noticed how many blackberries there were on the
banks."

"Ay, there are a lot, sir--a great lot to-year. The bairns gets quite
basketsful of 'em."

"Are you coming, Distin?" cried the