tried to
extract evidence from her as two justices of the peace.

And then Mrs. Gaunt's pale face and noble features touched them. The
case was mysterious, but no more; and they departed little the wiser,
and with some apologies for the trouble they had given her.

The next week down came Mr. Atkins, out of all patience, and determined
to find Griffith Gaunt, or else obtain some proof of his decease.

He obtained two interviews with Ryder, and bribed her to tell him all
she knew. He prosecuted other inquiries with more method than had
hitherto been used, and elicited an important fact, namely, that
Griffith Gaunt had been seen walking in a certain direction at one
o'clock in the morning, followed at a short distance by a tall man with
a knapsack, or the like, on his back.

The person who gave this tardy information was the wife of a certain
farmer's man, who wired hares upon the sly. The man himself, being
assured that, in a case so serious as this, no particular inquiries
should be made how he came to be out so late, confirmed what his wife
had let out, and added, that both men had taken the way that would lead
them to the bridge, meaning the bridge over the mere. More than that he
could not say, for he had met them, and was full half a mile from the
mere before those men could have reached it.

Following up this clew, Mr. Atkins learned so many ugly things, that he
went to the Bench on justicing day, and demanded a full and searching
inquiry on the premises.

Sir George Neville, after in vain opposing this, rode off straight from
the Bench to Hernshaw, and in feeling terms conveyed the bad news to
Mrs. Gaunt; and then, with the utmost delicacy, let her know that some
suspicion rested upon herself, which she would do well to meet with the
bold front of innocence.

"What suspicion, pray?" said Mrs. Gaunt, haughtily.

Sir George shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "That you have done
Gaunt the honor to put him out of the way."

Mrs. Gaunt took this very differently from what Sir George expected.

"What!" she cried, "are they so sure he is dead,--murdered?"

And with this she went into a passion of grief and remorse.

Even Sir George was puzzled, as well as affected, by her convulsive
agitation.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Though it was known the proposed inquiry might result in the committal
of Mrs. Gaunt on a charge of murder, yet the respect in which she had
hitherto been held, and the influence of Sir Georg