discovery on
their part? If so, I ought to know what it is. Believe me, Charles, I
ought to know what it is."

"I have heard of no new discovery," he coldly replied, not quite pleased,
as I could see, either with my words or my manner. "An old one may have
served your purpose. If another cutter besides yours passed through the
club-house grounds at the time you mention, it left tracks which all the
fury of the storm would not have entirely obliterated in the fifteen
minutes elapsing between that time and the arrival of the police. Perhaps
they remember these tracks, and if you had been entirely frank that
night--"

"I know, I know," I put in, "but I wasn't. Lay it to my confusion of
mind--to the great shock I had received, to anything but my own
blood-guiltiness, and take up the matter as it now stands. Can't you
follow up my suggestion? A witness can certainly be found who encountered
that cutter and its occupant somewhere on the long stretch of open road
between The Whispering Pines and the resident district."

"Possibly. It would help. You have not asked for news from the Hill."

The trembling which seized and shook me at these words testified to the
shock they gave me. "Carmel!" I cried. "She is worse--dead!"

"No. She's not worse and she's not dead. But the doctors say it will be
weeks before they can allow a question of any importance to be put to
her. You can see what that will do for us. Her testimony is too important
to the case to be ignored. A delay will follow which may or may not be
favourable to you. I am inclined to think now that it will redound to
your interests. You are ready to swear to the sleigh you speak of; that
you saw it leave the club-house grounds and turn north?"

"Quite ready; but you must not ask me to describe or in any way to
identify its occupant. I saw nothing but the hat and coat I have told you
about. It was just before the moon went under a cloud, or I could not
have seen that much."

Is it so hard to preserve a natural aspect in telling or suggesting a lie
that Charles's look should change as I uttered the last sentence? I do
not easily flush, and since my self-control had been called upon by the
dreadful experiences of the last few days, I had learned to conceal all
other manifestations of feeling except under some exceptional shock. But
a lie embodied in so many words, never came easy to my lips, and I
suppose my voice fell, for his glance became suddenly penetrating, and