your forgiveness."

I drew near the hammock, and in the features of the dying man I
recognised those of Saull Ley.

"Weatherhelm, I'm a great villain, I know I am," he cried out as soon as
he saw me. "There's a greater, though, and he put me up to it. I would
have let you be punished to save my own worthless carcase, and, oh! now
I'm suffering greater pain than ever the cat could give me. I stole all
the things--I've been telling Mr Nips. Then we persuaded those two
silly lads that it was you, and when they saw me go and put them into
your bag, they had no doubt about it, and so Iffley made them believe
that they had seen you coming out of the store-room. That's all about
it. I've been speaking the truth and nothing but the truth. But you'll
forgive me, won't you, Weatherhelm, and let me die easy?"

"I forgive you with all my heart, and I believe that I should have
forgiven you even had I suffered the punishment awarded me," I answered.
"I would ask you but one thing. Why do you fancy that Iffley is
desirous to get me falsely accused?"

"Because he hates you, he told me so," he said. "He has a long score to
wipe off against you, and he vowed if you escaped him this time, he
would find means, before long, to be revenged on you."

"You hear what the man says," observed Dr McCall to the other officers
present. "This is what I suspected, but had not the means of proving.
We must not allow that ruffian Iffley to obtain his ends; for ruffian he
is, notwithstanding his plausible manners. It's an old story--
Weatherhelm would rather it were not told--but there is nothing in it to
do him discredit."

"All I desire, sir, is, that I may be freed from the imputation cast on
me, and that, thanks to your consideration in calling witnesses to hear
this poor man's dying confession, will, I am sure, be done."

"Rest assured of that," remarked the chaplain. "And now I would say a
few words to Saull Ley. You spoke of dying with a quiet conscience if
you got forgiveness from the man you might have so cruelly injured, had
you not been struck down by the hand of an avenging God; but you have
not only forgiveness to seek from man, but from One who is mighty to
save, who has the power and the will to wash away all your sins, if you
put your entire faith and trust in Him, and repent you heartily of your
former life."

"I cannot, I dare not. He wouldn't listen to such a wretch as me.
Don't tell me to go to Him. Find some