f the body.

At that moment the dog was snuffling at the very spot. Here it was
that she herself had slipped; here that Ralph had caught her in his
arms; here, again, that he had drawn her forward; here that they had
heard noises from the court beyond.

Stop--what noise was _that!_ It was the whinny of a horse! They had
heard that too. Her dream of the past and the present reality were
jumbling themselves together.

Again? No, no; that was the neigh--the real neigh--of a horse. Rotha
hastened forward. The dog had run on. A minute later Laddie was
barking furiously. Rotha reached the courtyard.

There stood the old mare, exactly as before!

Was it a dream? Had she gone mad? Rotha ran and caught the bridle.

Yes, yes! It was a reality. It was Betsy!

There was no coffin on her back; the straps that had bound it now
dangled to the ground.

But it was the mare herself, and no dream.

Yes, Betsy had come home.

CHAPTER XLII. THE FATAL WITNESS.

Long before the hour appointed for the resumption of the trial of
Ralph Ray, a great crowd filled the Market Place at Carlisle, and
lined the steps of the old Town Hall, to await the opening of the
doors. As the clock in the cupola was striking ten, three men inside
the building walked along the corridor to unbar the public entrance.

"I half regret it," said one; "you have forced me into it. I should
never have touched it but for you."

"Tut, man," whispered another, "you saw how it was going. With yon man
on the bench and yon other crafty waistrel at the bar, the chance was
wellnigh gone. What hope was there of a conviction?"

"None, none; never make any more botherment about it, Master Lawson,"
said the third.

"The little tailor is safe. He can do no harm as a witness."

"I'm none so sure of that," rejoined the first speaker.

The door was thrown open and the three men stepped aside to allow the
crush to pass them. One of the first to enter was Mrs. Garth. The
uncanny old crone cast a quick glance about her as she came in with
the rest, hooded close against the cold. Her eyes fell on one of the
three men who stood apart. For a moment she fixed her gaze steadfastly
upon him, and then the press from behind swept her forward. But in
that moment she had exchanged a swift and unmistakable glance of
recognition. The man's face twitched slightly. He looked relieved when
the woman had passed on.

Dense as had been the throng that filled the court on the earl