l wretched days he waited to hear the words that would
point suspicion to him. They were not spoken. Auda came to Lerwick,
as usual, with her basket of eggs for sale; she talked with Paul
Borson about Bele's disappearance; and though Liot watched her
closely, he noticed neither tremor nor hesitation in her face or
voice. He thought, indeed, that she showed very little feeling of any
kind in the matter. It took him some time to reach the conclusion
that Auda was playing a part--one she thought best for her honor
and peace.

[Illustration: A LERWICK MAN.]

In the mean time the preparations for his marriage with Karen
Sabiston went rapidly forward. He strove to keep his mind and heart
in tune with them, but it was often hard work. Sometimes Karen
questioned him concerning his obvious depression; sometimes she
herself caught the infection of his sadness; and there were little
shadows upon their love that she could not understand. On the day
before her marriage she went to visit her aunt Matilda Sabiston.
Matilda did not deny herself, but afterward Karen wished she had
done so. Almost her first words were of Bele Trenby, for whom she
was mourning with the love of a mother for an only son.

"What brings you into my sight?" she asked the girl. "Bele is dead
and gone, and you are living! and Liot Borson knows all about it!"

"How dare you say such a thing, aunt?"

"I can dare the truth, though the devil listened to it. As for
'aunt,' I am no aunt of yours."

"I am content to be denied by you; and I will see that Liot makes
you pay dearly for the words that you have said."

"No fear! he will not dare to challenge them! I know that."

"You have called him a murderer!"

"He did the deed, or he has knowledge of it. _One_ who never yet
deceived me tells me so much. Oh, if I could only bring that _one_
into the court I would hang Liot higher than his masthead! I wish to
die only that I may follow Liot, and give him misery on misery every
one of his life-days. I would also poison his sleep and make his
dreams torture him. If there is yet one kinsman behind my back, I
will force him to dog Liot into the grave."

"Liot is in the shelter of God's hand; he need not fear what you can
do to him. He can prove you liar far easier than you can prove him
murderer. On the last day of Bele's life Liot was at sea all day, and
there were three men with him. He spent the evening with John Twatt
and myself, and then sat until the midnigh