his face oddly made up
of triumph and compassion, advanced to meet him, saying:

"We are not at fault now, Mr. Berners. We returned to-day to resume our
search through these mountains, and late this afternoon, as we were
returning from our unsuccessful pursuit of the burglars, we were met
here in the churchyard by these men."

And here the sheriff pointed to Purley and Munson, who were standing at
a short distance.

"They told us," proceeded Mr. Benthwick, "that Mrs. Berners, with your
assistance, had escaped from their custody."

"Right over my dead body, which I should say, my sleeping body," put in
Purley.

"And that she was certainly concealed in this chapel, as they had
received unquestionable information to that effect," added Mr.
Benthwick.

"Well, sir, if you find her here, you will succeed in the search far
better than I have done," replied Lyon Berners, grimly.

"We have found _you_ here, and under very suspicious circumstances; so
we will take leave to make a more thorough search than we did yesterday,"
replied the sheriff.

"Have you tried the vault?" inquired Purley.

"No; but we will try it now. She may be concealed within it, after all,"
said Mr. Benthwick. And seeing the crowbar, he took it up and went to
work upon that immovable door; but finding it so fast, he threw down
the tool, saying:

"It is of no use to work at that door in that way, and it is of no use
either to look through the bars, for you can see nothing but black
darkness. But, Purley, I will tell you what to do. Do you go and cut the
most resinous knot that you can find on the nearest pine tree, and bring
it to me."

Purley started off in a hurry, and soon returned with a pine knot fairly
soaked with turpentine.

"Now, then," said Mr. Benthwick, as he took the torch from the hand of
his messenger. "I think this will throw some light into the darkness
below!"

And he applied it first to the fire in the aisle, and then he carried,
it, flaming high, to the door of the vault, and putting it through the
iron bars, let it drop into the vault.

It was lighted up in an instant, and the sheriff and Purley bent down to
look through the grating to see what the interior illumination might
show them.

And Lyon Berners, whose anxiety was of course more intense than that of
any one present, elbowed his way through the crowd to get nearer the
door of the vault.

But before he could effect his purpose, a sound of thunder burst upon