ence."

"What has Taggett discovered?"

"Several things, upon which he builds the gravest suspicions."

"Against whom?"

"Against you."

"Against me!" cried Richard, recoiling. The action was one
altogether of natural amazement, and convinced Mr. Perkins, who had
keenly watched the effect of his announcement, that young Shackford
was being very hardly used.

Justice Beemis had given Mr. Perkins only a brief outline of the
facts, and had barely touched on details when the old lawyer's anger
had put an end to the conversation. His disgust at having been left
out in the cold, though he was in no professional way concerned in
the task of discovering the murderer of Lemuel Shackford, had caused
Lawyer Perkins instantly to repudiate Mr. Taggett's action. "Taggett
is a low, intriguing fellow," he had said to Justice Beemis; "Taggett
is a fraud." Young Shackford's ingenuous manner now confirmed Mr.
Perkins in that belief.

Richard recovered himself in a second or two. "Why did not Mr.
Slocum mention these suspicions to me?" he demanded.

"Perhaps he found it difficult to do so."

"Why should he find it difficult?"

"Suppose he believed them."

"But he could not believe them, whatever they are."

"Well, then, suppose he was not at liberty to speak."

"It seems that you are, Mr. Perkins, and you owe it to me to be
explicit. What does Taggett suspect?"

Lawyer Perkins brooded a while before replying. His practice was
of a miscellaneous sort, confined in the main to what is technically
termed office practice. Though he was frequently engaged in small
cases of assault and battery,--he could scarcely escape that in
Stillwater,--he had never conducted an important criminal case; but
when Lawyer Perkins looked up from his brief reverie, he had fully
resolved to undertake the defense of Richard Shackford.

"I will tell you what Taggett suspects," he said slowly, "if you
will allow me to tell you in my own way. I must ask a number of
questions."

Richard gave a half-impatient nod of assent.

"Where were you on the night of the murder?" inquired Lawyer
Perkins, after a slight pause.

"I spent the evening at the Slocums', until ten o'clock; then I
went home,--but not directly. It was moonlight, and I walked about,
perhaps for an hour."

"Did you meet any one?"

"Not that I recollect. I walked out of town, on the turnpike."

"When you returned to your boarding-house, did you meet any one?"

"No, I let myself i