poison."

"You are looked upon in the neighborhood as worse than poison, Afy,"
returned Joyce, in a tone, not of anger but of sorrow. "Where's Richard
Hare?"

Afy tossed her head. "Where's who?" asked she.

"Richard Hare. My question was plain enough."

"How should I know where he is? It's like your impudence to mention
him to me. Why don't you ask me where Old Nick is, and how he does?
I'd rather own acquaintance with him than with Richard Hare, if I'd my
choice between the two."

"Then you have left Richard Hare? How long since?"

"I have left--what do you say?" broke off Afy, whose lips were quivering
ominously with suppressed passion. "Perhaps you'll condescend to
explain. I don't understand."

"When you left here, did you not go after Richard Hare--did you not join
him?"

"I'll tell you what it is, Joyce," flashed Afy, her face indignant and
her voice passionate, "I have put up with some things from you in my
time, but human nature has its limits of endurance, and I won't bear
_that_. I have never set eyes on Richard Hare since that night of
horror; I wish I could; I'd help to hang him."

Joyce paused. The belief that Afy was with him had been long and deeply
imbued within her; it was the long-continued and firm conviction of all
West Lynne, and a settled belief, such as that, is not easily shaken.
Was Afy telling the truth? She knew her propensity for making false
assertions, when they served to excuse herself.

"Afy," she said at length, "let me understand you. When you left this
place, was it not to share Richard Hare's flight? Have you not been
living with him?"

"No!" burst forth Afy, with kindling eyes. "Living with _him_--with our
father's murderer! Shame upon you, Joyce Hallijohn! You must be precious
wicked yourself to suppose it."

"If I have judged you wrongly, Afy, I sincerely beg your pardon. Not
only myself, but the whole of West Lynne, believed you were with him;
and the thought has caused me pain night and day."

"What a cannibal minded set you all must be, then!" was Afy's indignant
rejoinder.

"What have you been doing ever since, then? Where have you been?"

"Never mind, I say," repeated Afy. "West Lynne has not been so
complimentary to me, it appears, that I need put myself out of my way to
satisfy its curiosity. I was knocking about a bit at first, but I soon
settled down as steady as Old Time--as steady as you."

"Are you married?" inquired Joyce, noting the word "settle