ar and sometimes foul phraseology
that certainly was not altogether unseemly in such association.

"Well, Blundell's gone too, they say. He's heartily frightened. A few
more will follow, and we must both be out of the way. The rest could not
well be identified, and whether they are or not does not concern us,
except that they may blab of their confederates. Such as seem likely to
suffer detection must be frightened off; and this, by the way, is not so
difficult a matter. Pippin knows nothing of himself. Forrester is too
much involved to be forward. It was for this that I aroused and set him
on. His hot blood took fire at some little hints that I threw out, and
the fool became a leader in the mischief. There's no danger from him;
besides, they say, he's off too. Old Allen has broken off the match
between him and his daughter, and the fellow's almost mad on the
strength of it. There's but one left who might trouble us, and it is now
understood that but one mode offers for his silence. We are perfectly
agreed as to this, and no more scruples."

The quick sense of the maiden readily taught her who was meant; and her
heart trembled convulsively within her, as, with a word, Munro, replying
to Rivers, gave his assent.

"Why, yes--it must be done, I suppose, though somehow or other I would
it could be got rid of in any other way."

"You see for yourself, Wat, there can be no other way; for as long as he
lives, there is no security. The few surviving guard will be seen to,
and they saw too little to be dangerous. They were like stunned and
stupified men. This boy alone was cool and collected, and is so
obstinate in what he knows and thinks, that he troubles neither himself
nor his neighbors with doubt or difficulty. I knew him a few years ago,
when something more of a boy than now; and even then he was the same
character."

"But why not let him start, and take the woods for it? How easy to
settle the matter on the roadside, in a thousand different ways. The
accumulation of these occurrences in the village, as much as anything
else, will break us up. I don't care for myself, for I expect to be off
for a time; but I want to see the old woman and Lucy keep quiet
possession here--"

"You are becoming an old woman yourself, Wat, and should be under
guardianship. All these scruples are late; and, indeed, even were they
not, they would be still useless. We have determined on the thing, and
the sooner we set about it the better.