CHAPTER XX. AT THE MANOR.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 161, 17 July 1886, Page 7

CHAPTER XX. AT THE MANOR.

Herb, Jim, before you say anything more, you must have something to eat. Come in here ; there is plenty of supper left, and your mouth is large enough to eat and talk at the same time," said the hermit, leading the way into the apartment used as a dining-room. ' Jim showed his hunger by a prompt obedience, and Clarence followed him and sat down by the table. The black man had scarcely any of that eoffc accent peculiar to his colour, and his language showed that he was a man of much intelligence. While eating, he told how he was working with his wife and children about his cabin" some three miles away, when the dog appeared, and, as on many former occasions, the note was taken from his collar. " I at once mounted my horse and rode with all haate to Berisford Manor, where I I delivered your message to the doctor." Jitn went on without stopping his eating. "The old gentleman and everyone about the place seemed very muoh troubled, and I did not 1 learn the cause till I went down to the village. "Much of a tumult there?" aeked the hermit "Yes ; the whole population appeared to be gathered about the school-house, in which an inquest vraa going on." " When was the man killed?"

"It must have been last night ; the body was found by come nut-gatherera at daylight this morning." " Who killed the man ?" " Ah, sir, that's what the people would like to know." " Have thoy any suspicions ?" " I believo they have," paid Jim, uneasily. " Did you hear any names mentioned ?'* "Only one." " Well, what name was that?" "I've most forgot," said Jim, pushing back from the table, picking up his hat and walking out. The hermit quickly followed him, and when they were out of Clarence's hearing, he laid his hand on Jim's shoulder, and eaid : " Come, Jim, you remember that name now ? ' "ldo." " Whatie it?" " Clarence Aehworth," eaid Jim, in a whisper. " Are they searching for him ?" " Not that I heard of " " Why do they suspect young Ash worth ?" " Because he punished the detective some time ago for dogging him all about Willowemoc." " Is that the only reason ?" " No, there's another " " What is it ?" le The wound was made with a triangular dagger — " 11 Well ?" "And it is known that this Clarence Ashworth, on his last visit to Berisford Manor, brought with him just such ft weapon." " You heird some sa> that?' <c I heaid Shirley Benson say it.'' " Where ?" " On the witness stand " " Was the doctor present?" " Tvo, be had been examined. " Did you hear anything about hia evi< dence ?" " Only that Jolin Penh'eld was killed in the same way, in the same place, and with a similar weapon to that used by the assassin of Frank Ash worth." "Thank you, Jim. Are you going home ?" "Xe«,sir." ! " I shall be away to-morrow. Come over and take a look at the place ; and watch out /or Czar." "All light, sir. Goodnight." "Good night, Jim." Jim vanished in the darkness, and with slow steps aDd a downcast head the hermifc returned to Clarence. " Let us go back to the larger room and talk before the fire, Mr Ashworth." "1 feel, sir, that it is possible," said Clarence, as he followed his host into the room assigned to himself, "I should return to Willowemoc to-night." " There is no good reason for your going ; besides which, we can start from here bright and early and be in the village by the time the people are up." "This John Penfield,' said Clarence, as he resumed the seat he had been occupying when Jim came, "was no doubt- a well*, meaning fellow, but he annoyed me sorely, and I punished him." " It matters not if he were dead a thousand times over, he richly merited what you. gave him ; so have no regrets on that score. But as to his peculiar death it increases the mystery that came with your brother's sad taking off." " So it does," sighed Clarence. " This thing must be cleared up." "The weapon should give an infallible clue." '-Very true ; but strangely enough, the only weapon of the kind I ever— l mean. that I have a weapon of exactly the kind described, and if you will have patience with me, I will describe how and when ifc came into my possession." " I have heard ot two such weapons, and! only two," said the hermit; and if you tell me all about yours it will relieve mQ very much." Thus encouraged, Clarence told all he knew about the dagger his brother had obtained in India ; and he proved, from papei-3 then on his person, that it did not come into his possession— was not in this country, indeed, till some time after hia biothei's death "Theie was," said the hermit, wheq. Clarence had concluded, "another weapon* an exact duplicate of the one you describe,! in this country many years ago; I recall having seen it when a boy. But this is at* inventive age. A thousand, or a million such weapons may be in existence to-day., Let that drop for the present. By-the-by do you believe in heredity ?" ' "In heredity?" repeated Clarence. "Ye?, that the virtues and vic<?3— like our physical constitutions— are inherited from our progenitors." " I have never given the subject thought but it seems to mo very plausible." '• It is not only plausible, but demonstrable. 1 have known men whose lives were models of purity who confessed to me that they were at times nearly overpowered by their impulses to vice, and that never in their sleep had they had a pure dream." " That is certainly very remarkable." "So it is, but I believe it firmly. The good and bad gets strangely mixed up in. some nature?. There are and have been men who led double lives ; the one Hfej which the world saw was high and noble and the other lifb, hidden from the world was bestial and degraded to the last? degree." "I cannot understand that," said Clarence. " I think I can. Why, I have known a Clergyman who was a model of eloquence and goodness in his waking hours, who was addicted to talking in his sleep, and who, at such times, would pour out torrents of obscenity and blasphemy ; of nothing of which had he any recollection when awake... I have known men, with no reason for suicide, who dare not go near a precipice foe fear of leaping off, And T have known, other men who dare not tako in their hand* a deadly weapon, so strong was the impulse, to murder. This impulse follows men in sleep; and many mysterious murders, if we, could only get at the facts, could be accounted for in this way." Clarence did not attempt to direct thet monologue of his host, who went on discus-* sing the psychological aspects of life in. & way that showed be had given this fascia^ ating subject much thought, and reached* conclusions that were original and statfcling. It was near midnight when Clarence wajs> left to him&elf. Ho lay down on the cot, and, being tired! in mind and body, he dropped off to sleep, But the sleep brought no refreshing. I& his dreams he was a witness at John Penfield's inquest, and to the crowds gathered! about, foremost among whom was Dv Beriaford, he was trying to explain how he had! come by the dagger he owned. And ha woke up with the cold sweat beading his brow when the coroner put the question 5 |* Did you ever handle another dagger lfks By the first gleam of day the next mor.iv ing Clarence and the hermit, followed, bw their dogs, where on the way to Willow^--moc. But little was said by either till they came in eight of the village, ox rather, to> * point where they must separate if ons wajs,

going to Beriaford Manor and the other to Willowemoc. " Report to your friends," said the hermit, <Soming to a halt and facing Clarence, *' and I will go down to the village and«ee what ia astir. Meet me there ar or before noon." To this Clarence agreed, and they shook lianda and parted. "Oh, Mishter A'-hvort, I'm glat you gob pack," this Clarence heard as ho entered the gate, and at the same instant Hans Munn, with an anxious expression on his honest face, aopeared in the roadway. "lam clad to be back, Hans. What's the news V "You've heert bond dat, det man, eh ?" "Yes, Hans, that is very Bad. Have they found the murderer ?'' " No, sir, but dey dinks deyican." "Indeed." ** Yea. Some o^{ dem fellers like Shirley Benson drink* dey pin midey bride fellers. But, sir, dey can all boud dat dell you at de house oop." Aa if unable to trust himself in Clarence's prese jC6, Hans turned abruptly and plunged into the surrounding shrubbery. Miriam was standing on the piazza, and when she caught sight of Clarence she van to meet him. Her face was very pale, and there wa« an expression of agony in her beautiful «ye 3. "Come with me to the library, Cousin Clarence, before you seethe others ; I must talk with you alor.e,' said Miriam, in a trembling voice. He bowed and followed her in, wondering what fresh cause there was for her tribulation.