d him?" we asked.

"Trevor told me to take care of her," he said; and then he told us of
Perrault's arguments, but we ought not to have let him talk of them
that night, for it brought back the shuddering and sobbing, and the
horror seemed to come upon him, so that there was no soothing him or
getting him calm till the doctor mixed an anodyne draught; and let it
go as it would with Hester, I never left my boy till I had crooned him
to sleep, as in the old times.

CHAPTER IX.

TREVOR'S LEGACY.

Jaquetta bore the brunt of that night, and showed the stuff she was
made of, for poor Hester had only revived to fall into a most frightful
state of delirium, raving and struggling so that the doctor and Arthur
could hardly hold her.

So it went on for hours, Alured the only creature asleep in the house,
and we not daring to send for any help from without, poor Hester's
exclamations were so dreadful.

Poor Alured! his waking was sad enough! He had loved Trevor with all
his heart, and the wonder that anyone could be so wicked oppressed him
almost as much as the grief. The remnants of the opiate hung upon him,
too, and he lay about all day, hardly rousing himself to speak or look,
but giddily and drowsy.

Not till the inquest was it perceived how cleverly Perrault had taken
his measures, so that had he not made the mistake between the two boys,
he would scarcely have been suspected: certainly not but for Brand's
having watched him.

The report of the wild swans was traced to him. No doubt it was as an
excuse for a heavier charge, for poor Trevor was wounded with shot that
would not have been used merely for ducks, and besides, the other
shooters it attracted would be likely to make detection less easy.
Indeed, Fulk had seen that there were enough men about to spoil their
sport, and but for the boys' eagerness, would have turned back.

Moreover it was proved that Perrault had in the course of the morning
met Billy Blake, and asked him if he meant to bag the swan--if he
followed the young lord's party and fired when they did, he would be
sure to bring something down. He did not know that the Blakes never
let the poor fellow load his old gun with anything but powder.

Then his joining the horrified group, as if he had been merely after
the ducks, and had been attracted by the cry, had entirely deceived us;
and but for Hester's accusation, Brand's evidence, and his own flight,
together with all the past, might ha