and so escaped serious
injury."

"Are you positive it was Ben who set them on!" Jean asked.

"Oh, yes, there is no doubt about it. I found a letter from him in the
pocket of the coat of one of the men who attacked me. I have the coat
now in my possession as well as the letter. The latter speaks for
itself."

"And so Ben did that!" Jean murmured to herself.

"But that is not all, Miss Benton. You have heard, I suppose, what he
did Friday night?"

"Yes, Mrs. Dempster has told me all about it. And you think Ben was
back of that, too?"

"Indeed he was. The two men we caught said so, and they are to swear
to it at the trial, and bring the other men who were with them."

"Will there be a trial?"

"It will be held to-morrow in the hall at the Corner. I am going to
put a stop to such attacks and bring the guilty ones to task, if it is
at all possible. It is a very strange thing for one family to rule a
community like this, persecute innocent men, and drive them from the
parish. It is a mystery to me that the people have permitted it for so
long."

"Who will conduct the trial?" Jean enquired.

"Squire Hawkins. He is the only Justice of the Peace here."

"But he won't dare do anything to Ben. He is frightened almost to
death of the Stubbles."

"I know he is, and for that reason I want your assistance."

"What can I do?" Jean asked in surprise.

"You can tell what Ben did to you at Long Wharf. That will prove what
a villain he really is. Why, he intended to drown you that night, and
he would have succeeded if I had not happened to be present. You can
make your sworn statement to Squire Hawkins who can come here, so it
will not be necessary for you to go to the trial."

Jean buried her face in her hands at these words and remained very
silent. Douglas watched her for a few minutes, and a deep pity for
this unfortunate woman came into his heart.

"Come," he urged, "won't you back me up? I have entered into this
fight and need all the assistance I can get. If I am defeated, no one
will dare to undertake such a thing again."

"I can't do it," Jean moaned. "Oh, I can't tell on Ben."

"Why not? He tried to drown you, and he cares for you no longer. He
is a menace to the whole community."

"I know it, I know it," the girl sobbed. "But I shall never tell on
Ben, no, never."

"But he has ruined your whole life, remember, and he may ruin others as
innocent as you were, if he is not stopped.