East Lynne

he heels of another. The reader may dissent from the expression "Miss Carlyle's," but it is the correct one, for the house was hers, not he

ustices were. It was said in the town, that she was as good a lawyer as her father had been; she undoubtedly possessed so

asking to s

d came back with an

r half an hour; some important business has

you;" immediately

on. "Mr. Dill is here, and will join you to talk the affair over," he said

involuntary glance at the wood, which rose behind them on his left hand. It was called Abbey Wood, from the circumstance that in old days an abbey had stood in its vicinity, all traces of which, save tradition, had passed a

m, but he neither saw nor heard any signs of Richard's being concealed there. Barbara w

te," she whispered to him as he e

e come

of it; but he has

the chair, not occupying it. Mr. Carlyle placed a pocket-book in her hands. "I have b

yle's hand in both hers. "Archibald, I must see my boy; how can it b

how bad the night air is for you.

mma sent me just now into the kitchen with a cake and a bottle of wine, desiring them to drink her health

bserved Mr. Carlyle, "a

rtain whether he is

elf," interposed Mr. Carlyle. "Have the doo

the arm of Mr. Carlyle. "There he is! See! Standi

; for if I am to have an interview with him, it must be got over first

elding and gentle as his mother. In her, this mild yieldingness of disposition was rather a graceful quality; in Richard it was regarded as a contemptible misfortune. In his boyhood he had been nicknamed Leafy Dick, and when a stranger inquired why, the answer was that, as a l

asked Richard, after a few interc

hut up in the kitchen and will not see you. Though if they did, they co

l in a twitter till I get aw

to disclose to me the true history of that lament

ittle moment. If the whole place heard the truth from me, it w

d, in as few wo

er thought I went after Afy; perhaps I did, and perhaps I didn't. Hallijohn had asked me to le

ole truth to your lawyer and your doctor.' If I am to judge whether anything can be attempted fo

uld have waited till I was my own master to make her my wife, though it had been for

ned Mr. Carlyle, w

on't suppose I meant anything else! I

chard. Did she r

oo much to be with-him. I would think her capricious-telling me I must not come this evening, and I must not c

ot indicted 'him' by any na

lack whiskers brushed Mr. Carlyle's

Barbara had mentioned. "Who wa

e. He took precious good care of that. He lives s

ting

ould come galloping over at dusk, tie his horse to a tree in the wood, and pass an hour or two with

oint, Richard-

id she was unable to receive me then, that I must go back home. We had a few words about it, and as we were speaking, Locksley passed, and saw me with the gun in my hand; but it ended in my giving way. She could do just what she liked with me, for I loved the very ground she trod on. I gave her the gun, telling her it was loaded, and she took it indoors, shutting me out. I did not go away; I had a suspicion that she had got Thorn there, though she denied it to me; and I hid myself in some trees near the house. Again Locksley cam

lyle looked keenly at Rich

ce startled me: I had never seen a man show more utter terror. His face was livid, his eyes seemed starting, and his lips were drawn back from his teeth.

Thorn never came but at d

up that he should look so scared, and scutter away as though the deuce was after him; I wondered whether he had quarreled with Afy. I ran to the house, leaped up the two steps, and-Carlyle-I fell

r breath. Mr. Carl

ort of panic came over me, a fear. You know they always said at home I was a coward: I could not have remained a

up the gun?" inte

my brain that my gun ought not to be found near the murdered body of Hallijohn. I was flying from the door, I say, when Locksley emerged from the wood, full in vi

at he had seen you leave the cottage, gun in hand, apparently in great commotion; that

turned Bethel. 'That fine fellow, that Thorn, who comes after Afy,' I answered, for I did not mind mentioning her name in my passion. 'I don't know any Thorn,' returned Bethel, 'and I did not know anybody was after Afy but yourself.' 'Did you hear a shot?' I went on. 'Yes, I did,' he replied; 'I suppose it was Locksley, for he's about this evening,' 'And I saw you,' I continued, 'just at the moment the shot was fired, tu

same night, Richard;

t there on the grass. The noise brought people from the house-plenty were in it then-and I retreated. 'If she can think me guilty, the world will think me guilty,' was my argument; and that night I went right off, to stop in hiding for a day or two, till I saw my way clear. It never came clear; the coroner's inquest sat, and the verdict floored me over. And Af

on. "Four of you, as I understand it, were in the vicinity of the cottage that night, and from one or the ot

rd; "it was an impossibility. I saw him, as I tel

where was

angles from me, deep in the wood, away from the paths altogether. It was Thorn did the deed, beyond all dou

. Carlyle, in his straightforward manner. "The most singular thing is, if you witnessed this, Thorn's

help it; it was born with me, and will go with me to my grave. What would my word have availed that it was T

f coming to West Lynne, evening after evening, how was it that he never was observed? This is the

ret. I told Afy so, and that it augured no good for her. You are not attaching credit to what I say, and it is only as I expected; nevertheless, I swear

ne earnest, and Mr. Carlyle rem

ard. "It can do me no service; all the assertion I c

ed, it must be by proofs. But-I will keep my thought on the matt

our and twenty, tall and slend

ections? Wher

ting way, would say he had come

quickly interru

ne of the Thor

is perfumed hands, and his rings, and his dainty gloves. That he was an aristoc

flitted over

real,

n to dazzle Afy. She told me once that she could be a grander lady, if she chose, than I could ever make her. 'A lady on the cross,' I answered, '

radesmen, fathers of young families, short, stout, and heavy as Dutchmen, staid and m

" questioned Rich

er Afy. Richard

n surprise. "How should I know

ppeared immediately after the funeral; and it was thought-in short, Richa

en or heard of her, Carlyle, since that unfortunate n

man good-

eyes and handsome features. But his vain dandyism spoilt him; would you believe that his handkerchiefs were soaked in scent? They were of the fines

proceeded up the path. "What a blessing it is the servants' windows don't look this way,"

ere groundless, and

view with his hysterical and tearful mother, Richard nearly as hysterical as

whiff when the meal was over, but Miss Carlyle retired to bed; the smoke, to which she had not been accustomed since her father's death, had made her he

intimate with the Thorns, of Swainson; do they happen to have

h young Jacob," was the answer of Mr. Dill, one wider f

He must be for

nephew; the old man never had but those two children, Jacob and Edward. Neither h

ers, and leather-dressers, possessing a relative of the name. "Dill," said he, "something has arisen which, i

But his flight, Mr. Archiba

dandy fellow used to come courting Afy Hallijohn in secret; a tall, slender man, as he is described t

those two respected gentlemen, with their wives and

was a young man, three or four and twenty, a head t

hat they are the two last of the name. Depend upon it, it was nobody

the obnoxious pipes. Mr. Carlyle sat in a brow

ce gone

She is j

n you have taken a

e five and thirty again; her forehead was broad, her gray eyes were deeply set, and her face wa

he door

bid, came forward, an

ur sister, Joyce?" began Mr.

y; "I think it would be

y s

father into his grave, she would be more likely to hide

that fine gentleman

Joyce's cheeks, and s

you hear

ince. He came from S

id not agree upon the point. I said a person of his rank wou

her up. "His rank.

I had gone home early, and there sat him and Afy. His white hands were all glittering wit

u seen h

sir, as soon as I went into the parlor, shook hands with Afy, and left. A fine, upright man h

as a soldier?" quickl

call him; but she said he was not a capta

" suggested

at was it-Lie

ruck you that Afy is more likely to have fo

that she is with Richard Hare, and nothing can turn m

m her belief." He dismissed her, and sat on

ounds in his pocket, and desolation in his heart, the ill-fated young man once more quitted his childhood's home. Mrs. Hare and Barbara watched him steal down the path in