l set her mind at rest by telling her what I have
told you.'

'Really, my dear Miss Whichello, you are very severe; I assure you all
this explanation is needless.'

'Not while Mrs Pansey has so venomous a tongue, Mr Cargrim. She is quite
capable of twisting my innocent desire to assure myself that Mab was
safe from this man into some extraordinary statement without a word of
truth in it. I shouldn't be surprised if Mrs Pansey had hinted to you
that I had killed this creature.'

As this was precisely what the archdeacon's widow had done, Cargrim felt
horribly uncomfortable under the scorn of Miss Whichello's justifiable
indignation. He grew red, and smiled feebly, and murmured weak
apologies; all of which Miss Whichello saw and heard with supreme
contempt. Mr Cargrim, by his late tittle-tattling conversation, had
fallen in her good opinion; and she was not going to let him off without
a sharp rebuke for his unfounded chatter. Cutting short his murmurs, she
proceeded to nip in the bud any further reports he or Mrs Pansey might
spread in connection with the murder, by explaining much more than was
needful.

'And if Mrs Pansey should hear that Captain Pendle was on Southberry
Heath on Sunday night,' she continued, 'I trust that she will not accuse
him of shooting the man, although as I know, and you know also, Mr
Cargrim, she is quite capable of doing so.'

'Was Captain Pendle on Southberry Heath?' asked Cargrim, who was already
acquainted with this fact, although he did not think it necessary to
tell Miss Whichello so. 'You don't say so?'

'Yes, he was! He rode over to the gipsy camp to purchase an engagement
ring for Miss Arden from Mother Jael. That ring is now on her finger.'

'So Miss Arden is engaged to Captain Pendle,' cried Cargrim, in a
gushing manner. 'I congratulate you, and her, and him.'

'Thank you, Mr Cargrim,' said Miss Whichello, stiffly.

'I suppose Captain Pendle saw nothing of Jentham at the gipsy camp?'

'No! he never saw the man at all that evening.'

'Did he hear the shot fired?'

'Of course he did not!' cried Miss Whichello, wrathfully. 'How could he
hear with the noise of the storm? You might as well ask if the bishop
did; he was on Southberry Heath on that night.'

'Oh, yes, but he heard nothing, dear lady; he told me so.'

'You seem to be very interested in this murder, Mr Cargrim,' said the
little lady, with a keen look.

'Naturally, everyone in Beorminster is interested in it.