been coiled around him. Jennet alone appeared unmoved. To look at her, no one would have imagined she was any way concerned in the proceedings. Not so Sir Stephen, who made several attempts to rise, but each time gave way to the overpowering sense of the situation in which he found himself placed. "It will be necessary," said the Coroner, addressing the jury, after waiting a sufficient time to see whether either of the accused parties, or any one else, had anything to offer, "to adjourn this inquiry. At present, there is no positive evidence before us upon which to found a satisfactory verdict. By to-morrow, perhaps, Mr. Mayfield may be able to adduce some fresh circumstances corroborative of his suspicions or other witnesses may be forthcoming,—or, lastly, Sir Stephen Azledine and the person called Jennet M'Blee may be in a condition to show that the presumptive ones already before us, and which make so much against them, are capable of satisfactory explanation. What I should propose, therefore, is to adjourn the inquest till then; meanwhile, to take Sir Stephen's parole that he will not depart from this place, and to keep the woman in safe custody." VOL. III. L 66 'Custody!" exclaimed Jennet, rising to leave the room, "don't trouble yourself. I'll just be my own custody, if you please: and do you hear, Andrew," she continued, addressing herself to Mayfield, “mind you are here to-morrow there is no fear of my being so." The Coroner was upon the point of directing a constable who was present, to stop Jennet's departure, and consider her in his charge, when Kilvert stood forward, and offered to be answerable for her appearance. After some hesitation, and consulting with his clerk, this offer was accepted, and the jury were dismissed with the usual formalities. They immediately retired to their respective homes, followed in a few minutes by the Coroner himself, and the magistrates, leaving for companions to each other, Mayfield, Jennet, Sir Stephen, Black Kenneth, Kilvert, and Three Farthing Nick. CHAPTER XVIII. I know 'tis a base thing to be a coward, No sooner were they alone, than Sir Stephen, now somewhat recovered from his consternation, asked Mayfield whether he was mad, or drunk, or what it was that had induced him to attempt such a diabolical piece of revenge? "But I tell you this, my man," he continued, "there shall be revenge for revenge, blood for blood, if it must come to that. There is no peril into which you can bring me that will not fall upon yourself." "Pooh!" said Kilvert; "let us have no more of this. We all know what we know ; and what each of us can do, by letting his tongue loose. For my own part, however, than live under the daily fear of any sooner treacherous scoundrel among us, if any such there be, I would bid him do his worst, and meet or fly it, as I might choose. But out upon the knave's brag the power he has to betray his brother! It is the school-boy's threat' tell of me and I'll tell of you.' Bah! It is not manly !" --- "Am I the treacherous scoundrel you fear?" asked Mayfield sullenly. "Fear!" exclaimed Kilvert, his cheek reddening as he spoke: "Fear you, Andrew! What should make you think yourself so terrible, or I so changed? Have you ever seen me afraid of man, or danger ?" placing himself opposite to Mayfield as he asked the questions. Mayfield, who saw he had unwittingly roused the sleeping devil that lurked in Kilvert's nature, would fain have softened matters by observing, that he was so distracted with grief, he scarcely knew what he either said or did. 66 "So I should think," retorted Sir Stephen, or you would never have said what you have. But tell me, do you mean to persist in your damnable lie ?" "Not when I know it is one." "Andrew," said Jennet, "look upon these" - and she stretched forth her lean and withered hands; "look upon them, and say now, if you dare, that they have been stained with your daughter's blood." "What I have said I will repeat,” answered Mayfield, "though you bait me till midnight." "I just foresee one thing," observed Black Kenneth. 66 "What's that?" inquired Three Farthing Nick. "That this business will be a net large enough to catch us all, if we don't take care what we are about." "Why, look you," said Kilvert, "I am lawyer enough to know that it is not what a man says, but what he can prove, that will do in a court of justice. Tell me, then," he continued, addressing Mayfield, "have you any proofs to support what you have said?” "Wait till to-morrow." "You reckon without your host," rejoined Kilvert sternly. "I will not wait until tomorrow. Black Kenneth is right. The net you are preparing is large enough to catch us all, and you must stop your hand." |