Squire Herne stared blankly at Lovel, and burst out laughing. "Frank Chaskin!" said he; "my old friend, the murderer of my promised wife? You are mad to say so!"  
"I am not mad, as you know very well, Mr. Herne. I daresay you came out of your trance on that night quickly enough to see Chaskin steal away from the scene of his crime?"
 
"I swear by all that I hold most sacred that I saw nothing of my friend on that night. I rode back to Marborough, and caught the night express to London, without speaking to anyone with whom I was acquainted. I have told you that I came hither in disguise; is it likely, I ask you, Mr. Lovel, that I would nullify that disguise by speaking to my dearest friend? Not only my second self, mark you," added Herne, haughtily¹, "but a priest of the English Church, to whom I could not without shame reveal my secret visit. I acted for a good object, no doubt, but the means I was forced to adopt were none the less distasteful. I deny that in any way I know that Frank Chaskin is guilty; and, what is more, gentlemen, I would be prepared to stake my existence that he is innocent."
 
"I should like to agree with you, Mr. Herne," said Paul sadly, "but unfortunately I have here a proof of his guilt³."
 
"Proof! What proof?"
 
"This pistol," said Paul, producing the weapon and handing it to Herne. "It was found by Mother Jimboy on this spot, on the night of the murder, and shortly after the committal of the crime. You will see that the Vicar's name is engraved⁴ on the butt⁵."
 
Herne glanced carelessly at the pistol, and returned it to Mexton. "I have no need to see," he said sternly. "I recognise the pistol well enough. It is one of a pair which Chaskin had when he was in the army. It was found on this spot, you say. What of that?"
 
"Simply this," broke in Lovel, "that Chaskin must have dropped it after killing⁶ Milly."
 
"It does not argue that Chaskin was here at all," retorted Herne. "This pistol was no doubt stolen from his study, where he kept it. Mother Jimboy, you say--a gipsy, a thief. Why," he added, struck by a sudden thought, "she was in Chaskin's study a week before the murder! I remember quite well. No doubt she stole the pistol."
 
"And killed Milly, why don't you add?" sneered⁷ Lovel.
 
"Because I don't accuse her of so purposeless a crime. No doubt she gave the pistol to the murderer."
 
"Admitting that she did," cried Paul, "whom do you suspect?"
 
"No one," replied Herne. "Though I might suspect Lovel."
 
"Oh," said Lucas, shrugging his shoulders, "are you going over the old ground again?"
 
"No, I am not," replied Herne. "I say again that I do not suspect you."
 
"And I ask again why have you changed your mind?" said Lovel. "I was with Milly when you fell into your trance, and I was absent when you came out of it. So far as you knew, no one else was in the lane, and you awoke from your senseless state to see Milly's dead body. On these grounds you can suspect me only."
 
"You state a very good case against yourself," sneered Herne. "Evidently you wish to be hanged!"
 
"No, but I wish to hang the villain⁹ who killed Milly. I can defend myself if needful. But can you defend Chaskin?"
 
"I would do so with my life! He is innocent."
 
"I'll have to hear that from his own lips," replied Lovel. "Myself and Mexton are on our way to see him. Will you come also?"
 
"No; Chaskin can defend himself. I have just left him, and he said nothing which leads me to doubt him."
 
"The pistol----"
 
"No doubt he can explain the pistol. But go and ask him. For myself, I must bid you good-day. I have an engagement."
 
"One moment," cried Paul, catching¹⁰ him by the arm as he was moving off, "do you intend to abandon the search for Miss Lester's assassin?"
 
"No," replied Herne coldly. "I will find the assassin without your help."
 
"Because you know he is Chaskin!" cried Lovel scornfully.
 
"I do not know he is Chaskin!" retorted Herne disdainfully. "The person whom I suspect--whom I know--killed Milly is one you would never dream of accusing. Mine shall be the hand to bring this person to justice. Till then"--he waved his hand--"I have nothing to say," and with these final words he moved away.
 
Paul stood looking after him with a look of doubt on his face. "Whom do you think he suspects?" asked the journalist.
 
"I don't know."
 
"It can't be Dr. Lester, or Miss Clyde, for we have evidence that they are innocent," said Paul, perplexed¹¹, "nor you, because he denies that you are guilty; nor Chaskin, for the same reason; so----"
 
"I don't believe his denial of Chaskin's guilt," cried Lovel, with a frown; "nothing will make me believe that he did not kill Milly. Perhaps Herne suspects Catinka."
 
"Impossible! She cleared herself in my eyes."
 
"Well," said Lovel, dismissing the subject with a shrug⁸, "let us see how the Rev². Mr. Chaskin intends to clear himself. He will find it hard to deny the evidence of that pistol."
 
Paul thought so also, but as his companion seemed indisposed for further conversation he held his peace. The two young men walked slowly through the Winding¹² Lane, each intent on his own thoughts. Mexton wondered on how many more people the blame of this tragic¹³ death was likely to fall. Lester, Miss Clyde, Lovel, Catinka, and Herne all had been suspected on sufficiently¹⁴ strong evidence; but on evidence equally strong the innocence¹⁵ of one and all had been clearly proved. Now the circumstantial evidence of the pistol was against Chaskin, and it would appear that he had killed the girl; but for all that Paul was not inclined to be certain of his guilt. Others had cleared themselves by reasonable explanation; so why should not Chaskin do the same? Mexton quite expected that the Vicar would be able to explain the loss of his pistol, and account in some plausible¹⁶ way for his meeting on the common with Mother Jimboy. And if he proved himself to be guiltless, it would be quite impossible--so far as Paul saw--to discover the assassin of Milly. Her fate would remain a tragic mystery; and the person who had wrought¹⁷ such ill would live on in defiance¹⁸ of the law. But though he--or she, for it might be a woman, thought Paul--escape the law of man, there was yet the law of God to be reckoned with. Come what might, the

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