into the room. She sank upon her knees. The blind man groped his way to
her and knelt by her side.

"Oh, John, you wronged me! You wronged me! You wronged me!" she repeated
piteously, as she laid her head on the blind man's shoulder, and held
her child close to her breast.

Parson Lawrence's beard was wet with the tears that flowed unheeded down
his cheeks.

The brothers looked murder as their gleaming eyes saw their old father
sink helpless and undone in a chair, while their sister grovelled before
them.

In Hunch's hand, partly concealed, glittered the knife Gill had drawn on
Levi in the circus-tent.

All waited for Gill to act, for upon him lay the burden of proof,
although he was really the defendant in the case. Advancing to Lizzi he
laid his hand gently on her shoulder, and said:

"Lizzi."

His touch restored her queenliness to her, and she stood erect in the
majesty of scorn. Her contempt flashed from her eyes as with a
magnificent sweep of her perfect arm she repelled him.

"What did you tell your mother?" she demanded, while with bowed head he
obeyed the command of the gesture.

He did not lift his eyes.

"His mother had been dead for five years," said Levi, angrily.

"Then who wrote this?" she inquired imperiously, producing from the
pocket where it had lain beside the certificate, which she now trampled
upon, the letter Gill had read to her the night before his departure on
the pretended visit to his mother.

All eyes were directed to him. His gaze was riveted to the floor.

"Oh, John, John! how could you, and in your mother's name, too?"

That was her only rebuke when his plan to ruin her was fully revealed.

With downcast eyes and slow step she moved towards the stove, intending
to destroy the letter, but Levi snatched it from her hand, and read it
aloud, despite her protestations.

When he had finished the letter he leaped at Gill with a shriek of rage,
and thrust it into his face. Gill did not attempt to run or show fight,
as Levi's hand closed on his throat in a grip that meant sure and speedy
death.

"No, Levi, no; you must not punish him: leave that to me. And, Hunch
Blair, how dare you?"

She stamped her foot at Hunch, and entwined her fingers around Levi's,
her touch thrilling Gill as always it had done when she caressed him.

Hunch had darted forward with the knife uplifted, but Cassi had
restrained him.

Matthi had turned to Parson Lawrence, who had begun to remonstrate,