Tera's funeral was a function of importance. Well-nigh the entire population of Grimleigh crowded into the little above the town. Some of them were there in true for the terrible fate of the poor girl, others from sheer . But perhaps the greater part of the people were attracted by the expectation of a riot. It was understood that, in some way, Johnson was responsible for Tera's death. It was that if he had not killed her himself--and no one was bold enough to make that assertion--he was at least the means of driving her to destruction. Consequently public feeling ran high against the minister, and it was generally thought that if he read the service over his victim there would be trouble. Chard himself believed this, and accordingly attended the funeral in person with a posse of constabulary.  
However, these precautions proved unnecessary, for Johnson was wise enough not to put in an appearance, much less take an active part in the ceremony. Whether by the advice of Brand, or by the threats of the townspeople, he remained absent, and Tera was buried by a minister from Poldew, who nearly created a riot on his own account by his references to the death. Farmer Carwell and his daughter, Herbert Mayne and Miss Arnott, were all of them present, and it was with feelings of shame and indignation that they saw the ceremony presided over by a strange divine. When the crowd had , Carwell looked at the newly-made grave for some moments in silence. Then he turned to Korah Brand, who stood by his side. His pride as an elder of Bethgamul was hurt.
 
"If our cannot clear his character," said he, sternly, "he must be removed from the conduct of the congregation. Our Bethgamul cannot be shadowed thus by shame."
 
"But surely you don't believe that the pastor is guilty, father?" urged Rachel, before Brand could speak.
 
"I do not say that he is guilty; neither do I uphold his innocence," rejoined Carwell; "but he is suspected, and he knows it. It is for him to deny such an . His absence to-day only gives colour to the charge. Therefore, I say, until he refutes his accusers he must be out off from the congregation of the just."
 
"So say I, Brother Carwell," cried Brand. "'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' Still, we must give him every chance. Let us then call a meeting of our brethren, and demand that he disprove the charge or confess. If he be guiltless, the Lord will protect his own."
 
"I don't believe Mr. Johnson killed Bethiah," said Rachel. "Nor does Herbert."
 
"Oh, I am quite neutral," interposed Mayne, hastily. "I am neither for nor against our pastor; though I grant you it was strange that I should have met him where I did on the very night of the girl's ."
 
"No more strange than that you should have been there yourself, surely?"
 
"Well, really; I suppose you don't mean to infer that I had anything to do with the girl's disappearance? I hardly knew her. Any I had with her was in your presence."
 
"Rachel is not accusing you, Mr. Mayne," said Brand, coldly. "But she is in support of her pastor, which does her nothing but credit: I trust her may not prove to be misplaced. We must hope for the best."
 
"Do you believe in Mr. Johnson's ?" asked Rachel, sharply.
 
"I neither believe nor disbelieve," replied Korah, after a pause. "I know certain facts which are suspicious, and with these I will tax him when he is before us on his trial."
 
"I will see the elders at once," said Farmer Carwell. "No time shall be lost in giving Mr. Johnson an opportunity of clearing himself. Let us hope that God in His mercy will disgrace from our Fold."
 
"Amen to that!" cried Brand. "Surely the Lord will judge in all righteousness. He knoweth the sheep from the goats."
 
"Mr. Johnson is not a goat," said Rachel, in all seriousness.
 
Meanwhile, Jeremiah Slade, relieved for the time being from official duty, had gone home to his mid-day meal. Now that Brand had told him how Johnson confessed to the fact of his debts being paid, he was quite confident as to his guilt. The girl had been murdered near Carwell's field, and her body hidden in it. Near that field Johnson had on the night of the girl's death, been met, much . The pearls had been stolen from the dead, and the minister's debts had been paid since that time. Finally, there was the cord used to strangle the wretched girl, which had clearly been taken from the pastor's study. All this to Johnson's guilt, and Slade had almost made up his mind to arrest him. In the hope, however, of discovering some final and absolutely irrefutable piece of evidence, he to wait until he should have made a careful examination of the spot where the body was found. He could then, but only then, move with certainty as to the result.
 
He felt confident of success, and it was with a vision of himself as a full-blown at Poldew that Slade entered his home. Seated by the kitchen fire, he found his wife in tears. At sight of her husband, these gave way to rage. Furious with passion, she jumped up to meet him. something serious had occurred.
 
"They are back again, you !" the little woman; "I have seen them myself. How dare you look me in the face?"
 
"Are you crazy, Jemima?" Slade, angry and astonished; "what's come to you, woman?"
 
"This has come to me, that I know all about it; oh yes, and your Zara!"
 
"Ho, ho! so it's them confounded gipsies again, is it?"
 
"Yes, it is. They are back--she is back!"
 
The sat down heavily. He looked anything but comfortable. "What?" he said, ; "you don't tell me that Pharaoh Lee's tribe's come back?"
 
"As if you didn't know, you ! I went on to the common myself after the funeral. I heard as they were there; and sure enough I saw them; yes, she's come after you."
 
"Nonsense! Don't I tell you I care nothing for the Zara girl? Ain't I your husband? Ain't I tryin' to get you to Poldew? What's Zara Lovell to me?"
 
"That's just what I'd like to know. Perhaps Mr. Mayne can tell me something about that. Any way, I'll ask him."
 
"Better ask the girl herself," Slade. "Wonder you didn't."
 
"I didn't see her."
 
"You didn't see her!" repeated Slade, with a sense of relief; "ah, perhaps she ain't there."
 
"Whether she's there or whether she ain't, you come 'ome straight from your business every night, or I'll know the reason why, Jeremiah."
 
"Oh, I'll come straight home. Like all women, you're making a row about nothing. How am I going to find out all about this murder if you worry me this way?"
 
"Anything fresh?" asked Mrs. Slade, her curiosity getting the better of her temper.
 
"Nothing since the cord, Jemima; but I'm going to examine the place where the body was hidden. Maybe there's something there that's been overlooked."
 
"Near Pharaoh Lee's camp, ain't it, Jeremiah?"
 
"Oh, confound it, Jemima, you've got that girl on the brain!"
 
"I only hope you haven't," said Mrs. Slade, screwing up her mouth; "you deceive me, Jeremiah, and I'll tell Chard all that you've found out."
 
"Spoil my case, will you, you----"
 
"I don't care."
 
"You'll never get to Poldew."
 
"Then I'll stay here," snapped Jemima, with all the recklessness of a woman prepared to sacrifice anything and everything to gain her end. "If I see you speaking to that slut, Zara, I'll go straight to Chard. So now you know."
 
Slade did know, as he also knew that even though it were to ruin them both, she would carry out her threat. He spen............