The letter had made her horribly uneasy; she had had but little sleep all night, thinking about it. She could only comfort herself with the thought that as no further news had come by the morning post the probability was that Jabez had got clear away. While she was thus thinking the Major made his appearance. He had never been to see her at that hour of the morning before, and she could not repress an exclamation of surprise on greeting him. Directly she saw his face she knew that something was wrong. "Miriam, I came at once--I thought you would rather, I hated the idea of your being alone----" "My God, what is it? What has happened? I know nothing. Tell me." "You know nothing? Have you not seen the paper?" "No; what?" she snatched it up from the side-table where it was lying still unfolded. "Jabez!--he is dead." "Jabez! Dead? Poor Jabez! he said he would not be taken alive." "Well, he was true to his word, and something more. He took Shorty with him." "Took Shorty with him? Major, how horrible! Don't tell me he killed him!" The Major took the paper from her and read the whole account aloud. She sat there deathly pale and listened. "Poor, poor Jabez," she repeated when he had finished, "may God forgive him!" Then she started, as there came back to her mind the letter she had received from him the night before. It was in her pocket now. "But, Major," she said, producing it, "I got this from the poor boy last night; it is inexplicable now!" The Major read. "I don't know that it is inexplicable," he said, "but of course it is impossible to act upon it." "Why?" "For two reasons. First because the boy Shorty is drowned, and consequently his evidence could not be forthcoming, even if it were worth anything, which it probably wasn't; and secondly, Miriam, because, terrible as this is, for you to attempt to clear your brother would only be to make it worse for ourselves. Let it die; let him and the whole affair remain in oblivion. As it is it will soon be forgotten." "You see, Major, I was right; poor Jabez did not kill Mr. Barton." He did not reply. He could not bear to hurt her; but even in the face of what had happened he found it difficult to remove the suspicions which had for long past occupied his mind. "Miriam, take my word for it, we shall never know the truth. Personally speaking, my one desire is to keep the whole matter in abeyance. Now that Jabez is dead I am the more able to do that. The fact of his absolute guilt or innocence of my uncle's death need not weigh with me. As for this man Farren, there is no need for _me_ to charge him. If, in the ordinary course of things, his prosecution comes about, I suppose of necessity we shall both be brought into it. But failing that, I feel very unwilling to stir the thing. The atmosphere of it has become repellent to me. Guilty, or not guilty, he may go scot free so far as I am concerned. I think you had better destroy that letter." "Yes; you are right. It is best so."