her
situation, that she had leisure to feel interested in the tale that Lyon
had told her. She again reverted to it.

"But the likeness was not only in the red cloak, it was in the whole
gipsy style. I spoke of that, even before you had told me anything about
the gipsy girl," persisted Sybil.

Before Lyon could answer her, steps were heard approaching.

"There is Pendleton," exclaimed Mr. Berners, and he arose and hurried
forward to meet the visitor.

"Hush! come out here a moment," he whispered, drawing Captain Pendleton
outside the chapel. "Sybil knows nothing of that verdict as yet. I wish
to keep it from her knowledge as long as possible--for ever, if
possible. So if you have any more bad news to tell, tell it now, and
here, to me," he added.

"Berners," began the Captain--but then he paused in pity.

"Go on," said Lyon.

"My friend, the flight of your wife and yourself if not absolutely
ascertained, is strongly suspected. An officer watches your closed
chamber door. Two others have been dispatched to Blackville, to watch
the ferry. By to-morrow morning the flight, so strongly suspected now,
will be fully discovered. This is all I have to say in private. And now,
perhaps we had better not linger any longer here, lest Mrs. Berners may
suspect something, if possible, even more alarming than the truth," said
Captain Pendleton.

"You are quite right," admitted Lyon Berners, and they entered the
chapel together.

Sybil sprang up to meet them.

"What news, Captain? Is the murderer discovered? May we return home?"
she eagerly inquired.

"No, madam; the murderer has not yet been discovered, nor do I think it
would be prudent in you yet to return home," replied the Captain,
feeling relieved that her questions had taken forms that enabled him to
reply truly to them without divulging the alarming intelligence of the
verdict of the coroner's jury.

He unstrapped a portmanteau from his shoulders and threw it down near
the fire, and seated himself upon it. Then turning to Mr. Berners, he
said:

"I have made arrangements with your faithful Joe to bring certain
necessaries to this place to-night. They cannot, you know, be brought to
this spot by the same direct route that we took in coming here. But as
soon as the moon goes down, which will be about one o'clock, Joe will
launch a boat just below Black Hall and come across the river with all
that is most needed. There he will find a cart and horse waiting for
him