rvation. Nevertheless, he managed an
approving smile when the two young people were brought to his bedside,
and he looked at them afterwards in a narrow and scrutinizing fashion,
which made Betty redden and grow somewhat conscious.

"Not more than three-quarters of an hour at most, the nurse said," she
remarked, as they sat down at the bedside. "So if you have anything to
say, Uncle John, you must get it said within that."

"One can say a lot within three-quarters of an hour, my dear," answered
the invalid. "There is something I wanted to say," he went on, glancing
at Neale. "I suppose there has been an inquest on the two
Chestermarkes?"

"Adjourned--until you're all right," replied Neale. "You and I, of
course, are the two important witnesses. You--principally. You know
everything--I only came in at the end."

"I suppose there are--and have been--all sorts of rumours?" said
Horbury. "I don't see how anybody but myself could know all that
happened in this horrible business. Hollis, for instance?--have they
come to any conclusion about his death?"

"None!" replied Neale. "All that's known is that he was found at the
bottom of one of the old lead mines. We," he added, nodding at Betty,
"were there when he was taken out."

Horbury's face clouded.

"And I," he said, shaking his head, "was there when--but I'll tell you
two all about it. I should like to go over it all again--before the
inquest is resumed. Not that I've forgotten it," he went on, with a
shudder. "I will never do that! It's all like a bad dream. You remember
the Saturday night when all this began, Neale? If I had had any idea of
what was to happen during the next week----!

"That night, between half-past five and six o'clock, I was rung up on
the telephone. Greatly to my surprise I found the caller to be Frederick
Hollis, an old schoolmate of mine, whom I had only seen once--I'll tell
you when later--since we were at school together. Hollis said he had
come down specially from London to see me; he was at the Station Hotel,
about to have some food, and would like to meet me later. He said he
had reasons for not coming to the Bank House; he wished to meet me in
some quiet place about the town. I told him to walk along the river-side
at half-past seven, and I would meet him. And after I had dined I went
out through my garden and orchard and met him coming along. I took him
over the foot-bridge into the woods.

"Hollis told me an extraordinary story--ye