human nature that Natt should resist the temptation to
show his cronies by ocular demonstration what a knowing young dog he
could be if he liked. Natt never tried to resist it.

"Is it all die-spensy?" he asked, with a wink, when, with masterly
circumlocution, he had broached his topic.

"It's a fate, I tell tha'," said Tom o' Dint, taking a churchwarden from
between his lips; and another thin voice, from a back bench--it was
little Jacob Berry's--corroborated that view of the mystery.

A fine scorn sat on the features of Natt as he exploded beneath their
feet this mine of supernaturalism.

"Shaf on your bogies and bodderment, say I," he cried; "there are folks
as won't believe their own senses. If you'll no' but show me how yon
horse of mine can be in two places at once, I'll maybe believe as Master
Paul Ritson can be here and in London at the same time. Nowt short o'
that'll do for me, I can tell you."

And at this conclusive reasoning Natt laughed, and crowed, and stirred
his steaming liquor. It was at that moment that Paul whipped up into the
trap and drove away.

"Show me as my horse as I've tied to the post out there is in his stable
all the time, and I's not be for saying as maybe I won't give in."

Gubblum Oglethorpe came straggling into the room at that instant, and
caught the words of Natt's clinching argument.

"What see a post?" he asked.

"Why, the post afore the house, for sure!"

"Well, I wudna be for saying but I's getten a bit short-sighted, but if
theer's a horse tied to a post afore this house, I's not be for saying
as I won't be domd!"

Natt ran to the door, followed by a dozen pairs of quizzing eyes. The
horse was gone. Natt sat down on the post and looked around in blank
astonishment.

"Well, I will be domd!" he said.

At last the bogies had him in their grip.

CHAPTER XIII.

By the time that Paul had got to the Ghyll his anxiety had reached the
point of anguish. Perhaps it had been no more than a fancy, but he
thought as he approached the house that a mist hung about it. When he
walked into the hall his footsteps sounded hollow to his ear, and the
whole place seemed empty as a vault. The spirit-deadening influence of
the surroundings was upon him, when old Dinah Wilson came from the
kitchen and looked at him with surprise. Clearly he had not been
expected. He wanted to ask twenty questions, but his tongue cleaved to
his mouth. The strong man trembled and his courage ooz