ood story by insisting on
making the cook talk in that unnatural way?"

"What she said was," said Callaghan, "that it was no more than right
and proper that he'd come to the house of his own niece."

"You're absolutely certain she said that?"

"I am; for it wasn't once nor twice she said it, but more; like as if
she was proud of being along with a lady that was niece to a judge."

"If the facts are as you state them," said Meldon, "a good many things
become clear to me, and the general situation is by no means so
desperate as I was inclined to think."

"Would you say now, your reverence," said Callaghan, "that it's true
what she was after telling me about Sabina doing the best she could to
poison the judge with paraffin oil?"

"There's a foundation of truth in the statement," said Meldon, "but it
has been very much exaggerated."

"It's what I didn't think Sabina would do, for she was always a quiet,
decent girl, with no harm in her."

"Don't run away with the idea that Sabina has done anything wrong,"
said Meldon, "for she hasn't. I can't stop here to explain the whole
circumstances to you, for I have other things to do, and in any case
you wouldn't be able to understand. But I would like to fix this fact
firmly in your mind: Sabina is in no way to blame."

"Is there any fear now," said Callaghan, "that she might be took by the
police?"

"Not the slightest."

"Him being a judge and all?"

"That doesn't make the least difference. If Sabina had poisoned
anybody--she hasn't, but if she had--or even if she'd tried to, she'd
be had up for it whether her victim was a judge or a corner boy. It's
worse, I believe, if you poison the king; but short of that it's the
same thing exactly. The law doesn't set a bit more value on a judge's
life than on any one else's, and Sir Gilbert Hawkesby would be the
first man to tell you that. You can ask him if you like. But the
point isn't really of any importance, because, as I said before, Sabina
has neither poisoned nor tried to poison anybody. She has simply done
her duty."

CHAPTER XIX.

"On the whole," said Meldon, "things are turning out better than I
expected. They developed in a way that at first a little surprised me.
In fact, for an hour or two I was rattled, and hardly knew what to say
or do; but on thinking the whole affair over quietly, after an
interview I had with Callaghan, I have every reason to feel fairly well
satisfied."

He and Major Ke