said Beardsley hastily. "Louisa's innocence is not
called in question. Remember that. Tell everything you know without
scruple."

The old lady began again in a lower voice: "We expected an arrival that
afternoon--Houston Simms, a distant kinsman of Major Scheffer's. He was
from Kentucky--a large owner of blooded stock--and was on his way home
from New York, where his horses had just won the prizes at the fall
races. He had promised to stop for the wedding, and the carriage had
been sent to the station to meet him. The station, as you know, is five
miles up the road. By some mistake the carriage was late, and Houston
started, with his valise in his hand, to walk to the house, making a
short cut through the woods. When the carriage came back empty, and the
driver told this to us, some of the young men started down to meet the
old gentleman. It was then about four o'clock, and growing dark rapidly.
The wind, I recollect, blew sharply, and a cold rain set in. I came out
on the long porch, and walked up and down, feeling uneasy and annoyed at
Louisa's prolonged absence. Colonel Merrick, who had been looking for
her all through the house, had just learned from me where she had gone,
and was starting with umbrellas to meet her, when she came suddenly up
to us, crossing the ploughed field, not from the direction of Huldah's
cabin, but from the road. We both hurried toward her; but when she
caught sight of Colonel Merrick she stopped short, putting out her hands
with a look of terror and misery quite indescribable. 'Take me away from
him! Oh, for God's sake!' she cried. I saw she had suffered some great
shock, and taking her in my arms, led her in, motioning him to keep
back. She was so weak as to fall, but did not faint, nor lose
consciousness for a single moment. All night she lay, her eyes wandering
from side to side as in momentary expectancy of the appearance of some
one. No anodyne had any effect upon her--every nerve seemed strained to
its utmost tension. But she did not speak a word except at the sound of
Colonel Merrick's voice or step, when she would beg piteously that he
should be kept away from her. Toward morning she fell into a kind of
stupor, and when she awoke appeared to be calmer. She beckoned to me,
and asked that her uncle Scheffer and Judge Grove, her other guardian,
should be sent for. She received them standing, apparently quite grave
and composed. She asked that several other persons should be called in,