his brother George and thus get possession of the money. Anne
saved him the first time, and to save him now from the hatred of George
she has taken his guilt on her own shoulders."

"Who told you all this?"

"It's my theory. And I'll prove the truth of it, Morley, by hunting
everywhere for Walter Franklin. When I find him I'll wring a confession
out of him."

"I hope you will succeed," said Morley admiringly, "and you ought to for
your pluck. So far as I am concerned, I wash my hands of the whole
affair. You need not think I'll hunt down Miss Denham. Besides," added
Morley, nodding, "I am going away."

"What!" Giles was astonished. "Are you leaving The Elms?"

"In a month's time," replied the little man. "My wife's doing, not mine.
She has never got over a certain horror of the house since the murder of
that poor girl. I shall sell every stick of furniture and take Mrs.
Morley and the children to the United States. She wants to get away from
the old life and begin a new one. So do I. Rather a late beginning at my
age, eh, Ware?"

"What about your finances?"

"Oh, that's all right," said Morley, jubilantly. "I have settled
everything. An old aunt of mine has died and left me a couple of
thousand a year. I have paid every debt, and shall leave England without
leaving a single creditor behind me. Then Mrs. Morley has her own money.
We shall do very well in the States, Ware. I am thinking of living in
Washington. A very pleasant city, I hear."

"I've never been there," replied Giles, making for the door, "but I am
glad to hear that your affairs are settled. There is no chance of
trouble with Asher now."

Morley shook his head with a jolly laugh. "They won't send down another
Walter Franklin, if that is what you mean," said he.

"They did not send him down. He came himself."

"Yes. I only spoke generally. Well, I'll be sorry to go, for I have made
some pleasant friends in Rickwell--yourself amongst the number. But my
wife insists, so I must humor her. There's Franklin. I shall be sorry to
leave him."

"Is he not going also?"

Morley looked astonished. "No. Why should he go? He has the Priory on a
seven years' lease. Besides, he likes the place."

"He might go to escape his brother."

"I don't think Walter Franklin will dare to trouble George now. He is
innocent of actually committing this crime, but he certainly is an
accessory after the fact. He'll keep out of the way."

"Let us hope so for the sake of