ality of the Quakeress. "I would of a truth
desire to ask your help in ... in ... I would not intrude ... and I ..."

"Nay! nay! prithee enter, fair mistress," rejoined Mistress Lambert
dryly. "Strange, that I should hear thy words so plainly.... Thy words
seem to find echo in my brain ... raising memories which thou hast
buried long ago.... Enter, I prithee, and sit thee down," she added,
shuffling towards the chair; "shut the door, Dick lad ... and ask this
fair mistress to sit.... The squire is asking many questions ... mayhap
that I'll answer them, now that she is here...."

In obedience to the quaint peremptoriness of her manner, Richard had
closed the outer door, and drawn the chair forward, asking Mistress de
Chavasse to sit. Squire Boatfield, who was visibly embarrassed, was
still standing and tried to murmur some excuse, being obviously anxious
to curtail this interview and to postpone his further questionings.

"I'll come some other time, mistress," he said with obvious nervousness.
"Mistress de Chavasse desires to speak with you, and I'll return later
on in the evening ... when you are alone...."

"Nay! nay, man! ..." rejoined the Quakeress, "prithee, sit again ... the
evening is young yet ... and what I may tell thee now has something to
do with this fine lady here. Wilt question me again? I would mayhap
reply."

She stood close to the table, one wrinkled hand resting upon it; the
guttering candles cast strange, fantastic lights on her old face,
surmounted with the winged coif, and weird shadows down one side of her
face. Editha, awed and subdued, gazed on her with a kind of fear, even
of horror.

In a dark corner of the little room the straight outline of the long
deal box could only faintly be perceived in the gloom. Richard Lambert,
silent and oppressed, stood close beside it, his face in shadow, his
eyes fixed with a sense of inexplicable premonition on the face of
Editha de Chavasse.

"Now, wilt question me again, man?" asked the old Quakeress, turning to
the squire, "the Lord hath willed that my ears be clear to-day. Wilt
question me? ... I'll hear thee ... and I'll give answer to thy
questions...."

"Nay, mistress," replied the squire, pointing to the ink and the paper
on the table, "methought you would wish to see the murderer of your ...
your nephew ... swing on the gallows for his crime.... I would sign this
paper here ordering the murderer of the smith of Acol to be apprehended
as soon a