Maid of the Mist

e riding up in ones and twos, with faces tuned to the occasion, disguising, as well as they coul

progress. The news of his death had come as a surprise and a shock, and such of them as happened to join company on the road discussed the matter by fits and starts, and surreptitiously as it were, but did not

sixteen keenly interested faces that confronted Wulfrey when he to

iceably quiet and restrained and very d

erday. I am sure you will not make it any more painful for me than it is. I shall not trouble you long. The matter is unfortunately clear and simple. Our friend, Mr Pasley Carew, died the ni

the table at which they had all of them so often sa

rprise. Not one of them showed the rem

so grave a lapse unless it is absolutely unavoidable, unless

oman. For love-yes, without a doubt, and count the cost small. But from simpl

ker of doubt, but found none. Whatever the women at home might have suggested as extreme possi

can, and of course I must accept the consequences. I have not judged it necessary to make any post-mortem examination. I was called by young Job early yesterday morning, and when I got here Carew was dead and the symptoms were those of poisoning by strychnine. I was amazed and horrified, but when I hurried back home I saw at once how the mistake might have been mad

hatever," said the j

ds, then got up again heavily and said, "You will dis

d as result of the accident, Wulf

n terms of very close friendship. Some of them had

u?" chorussed so

o," he said quietly. "But it was

d. "And I swear none of us will let

lation of the actual facts to themselves their relations with the Doctor could never

ght at any time come in tired and pick up the wrong bottle,-that, whatever risks one might accept on one's own account for old friendship's sake, one's wife and daughters should hardly be put int

s born of the equivocal nature of the new relations

id to his impetuous friend, "but it cannot be. I can only do wha

id one old squire who had known Wulf from the yea

it," inte

n Pasley Carew. I'd give a year's rents to have him back,

de it'll get out, and it's b

t's human nature. Suppose you took ill

f Dale of course, and I'd have sam

wishing to placate Barclay, who had a temper, rather than of any deep c

n. "All I can say is that if any man I know goes ill and does not send for

om various point

of the matter," said one. "Barclay, you write out wha

rown hand was more accustomed to the hunting-crop than the

in, thanked theta soberly for their good intentions, but added to their verdict,-"as the result of strych