rows' shoulder-blade; but it was believed that beyond this he
could say nothing as to the murder. But Carry Brattle was presumed
to have a closer knowledge of at least one of the men. She had now
confessed to her sister that, after leaving Bullhampton, she had
consented to become Acorn's wife. She had known then but little of
his mode of life or past history; but he was young, good-looking,
fairly well-dressed, and had promised to marry her. By him she was
taken to the cottage on Pycroft Common, and by him she had certainly
been visited on the morning after the murder. He had visited her and
given her money;--and since that, according to her own story, she had
neither seen him nor heard from him. She had never cared for him,
she told her sister; but what was that to one such as her as long as
he would make her an honest woman? All this was repeated by Fanny
Brattle to Mrs. Fenwick;--and now the assizes were at hand, and how
was Carry to demean herself there? Who would take her? Who would
stand near her and support her, and save her from falling into that
abyss of self-abasement and almost of self-annihilation which would
be her doom, unless there were some one there to give her strength
and aid?

"I would not go to Salisbury at all during the assizes, if I were
you," Mrs. Fenwick had said to her husband. The Vicar understood
thoroughly what was meant. Because of the evil things which had
been said of him by that stupid old Marquis whom he had been
cheated into forgiving, he was not to be allowed to give a helping
hand to his parishioner! Nevertheless, he acknowledged his wife's
wisdom,--tacitly, as is fitting when such acknowledgments have to be
made; and he contented himself with endeavouring to find for her some
other escort. It had been hoped from day to day that the miller would
yield, that he would embrace poor Carry, and promise her that she
should again be to him as a daughter. If this could be brought about,
then,--so thought the Vicar and Fanny too,--the old man would steel
himself to bear the eyes of the whole county, and would accompany the
girl himself. But now the day was coming on, and Brattle seemed to be
as far from yielding as ever. Fanny had dropped a word or two in his
hearing about the assizes, but he had only glowered at her, taking no
other notice whatever of her hints.

When the Vicar left his friend Gilmore, as has been told in the last
chapter, he did not return to the vicarage across the fiel