understood nothing said to her, or, at
least, could return no rational response, although occasionally an
individual word would seem to influence the current of her ideas. She
kept murmuring almost inarticulately; but, to Mary's uneasiness, every
now and then plainly uttered the name _Tom_. What was she to make of
it? In terror lest she should betray her, she must yet do something.
Matters could not have gone wrong so far that nothing could be done to
set them at least a little straight! If only she knew what! A single
false step might do no end of mischief! She must see Tom Helmer:
without betraying Letty, she might get from him some enlightenment. She
knew his open nature, had a better opinion of him than many had, and
was a little nearer the right of him. The doctor must be called; but
she would, if possible, see Tom first.

It was not more than half an hour's walk to Warrender, and she set out
in haste. She must get back before George Turnbull came to open the
shop.

When she got near enough to see Mr. Wardour's face, she read in it at
once that he was there from the same cause as herself; but there was no
good omen to be drawn from its expression: she read there not only keen
anxiety and bitter disappointment, but lowering anger; nor was that
absent which she felt to be distrust of herself. The sole
acknowledgment he made of her approach was to withdraw his foot from
the stirrup and stand waiting.

"You know something," he said, looking cold and hard in her face.

"About what?" returned Mary, recovering herself; she was careful, for
Letty's sake, to feel her way.

"I hope to goodness," returned Godfrey, almost fiercely, yet with a
dash of rude indifference, "_you_ are not concerned in
this--business!"--he was about to use a bad adjective, but suppressed
it.

"I _am_ concerned in it," said Mary, with perfect quietness.

"You knew what was going on?" cried Wardour. "You knew that fellow
there came prowling about Thornwick like a fox about a hen-roost? By
Heaven! if I had but suspected it--"

"No, Mr. Wardour," interrupted Mary, already catching a glimpse of
light, "I knew nothing of that."

"Then what do you mean by saying you are concerned in the matter?"

Mary thought he was behaving so unlike himself that a shock might be of
service.

"Only this," she answered, "--that Letty is now lying in my room,
whether dead or alive I am in doubt. She must have spent the night in
the open air--and that without