ave you caught them?"

"Be good enough to sit down, Distin. Gilmore, take a chair." Then,
after a pause:

"You are here, Gilmore, at the constable's request, but the matter does
not affect you. My dear Distin, it does affect you, and I want you to
help me convince this zealous but wrong-headed personage that he is
labouring under a delusion."

"Certainly, sir," replied Distin, cheerfully. "What is the delusion?"

"In plain, simple English, my dear boy, he believes that you committed
that cruel assault upon poor Vane Lee."

"Oh," exclaimed Distin, springing up and gazing excited at the
constable, his eyes full of reproach--a look which changed to one of
indignation, and with a stamp of the foot like one that might be given
by an angry girl, he cried: "How dare he!"

"Ah, yes! How dare he," said the rector. "But pray do not be angry, my
dear boy. There is no need. Bates is a very good, quiet, sensible man
who comes here in pursuance of what he believes to be his duty, and I am
quite convinced that as soon as he realises the fact that he has made a
great mistake he will apologise, and there will be an end of it."

The constable did not move a muscle, but stood gazing fixedly at Distin,
who uttered a contemptuous laugh.

"Well, Mr Syme," he said, "what am I to do? Pray give me your advice."

"Certainly, and it is my duty to act as your counsel; so pray forgive me
for asking you questions which you may deem unnecessary--for I grant
that they are as far as I am concerned, but they are to satisfy this
man."

"Pray ask me anything you like, sir," cried Distin with a
half-contemptuous laugh.

"Then tell me this, on your honour as a gentleman: did you assault Vane
Lee?"

"No!" cried Distin.

"Did you meet him in the wood the day before yesterday?"

"No."

"Did you encounter him anywhere near there, quarrel with and strike
him?"

"No, no, no," cried Distin, "and I swear--"

"There is no need to swear, Mr Distin. You are on your honour, sir,"
said the rector.

"Well, sir, on my honour I did not see Vane Lee from the time he left
this study the day before yesterday till I found him lying below the
chalk-bank by that stream."

"Thank you, Distin. I am much obliged for your frank disclaimer," said
the rector, gravely. "As I intimated to you all this was not necessary
to convince me, but to clear away the scales from this man's eyes. Now,
Bates," he continued, turning rather sternly to the constab