"I crept out of my bedroom window," said Hetty. "Aunt and uncle had gone to bed. I can easily get out of the window, it opens right on the cow-house, and from there I can swing myself into the laburnum-tree, and so reach the ground. I got out, and followed Mr. Frere. Presently I saw that Mr. Everett was also out, and was following him. I knew every yard of the Plain well, far better than Mr. Everett did. I went to it by a short cut round by Sweetbriar Lane--you know the part there--not far from the Court. I had no sooner got on the Plain than I saw Mr. Frere--he was running--I thought he was running to meet me--he came forward by leaps and bounds very fast--suddenly he stumbled and fell. I wanted to call him, but my voice, sir, it wouldn't rise, it seemed to catch in my throat. I couldn't manage to say his name. All of a sudden the moon went down, and the plain was all gray with black shadows. I felt frightened--awfully. I was determined to get to Mr. Frere. I stumbled on--presently I fell over the trunk of a tree. My fall stunned me a bit--when I rose again there were two men on the Plain. They were standing facing each other. Oh, Mr. Awdrey, I don't think I'll say any more." "Not say any more? You certainly must, girl," cried Awdrey, his face blazing with excitement. "You saw two men facing each other--Frere and Everett, no doubt." Hetty was silent. After a moment, during which her heart beat loudly, she continued to speak in a very low voice. "It was so dark that the men looked like shadows. Presently I heard them talking--they were quarrelling. All of a sudden they sprang together like--like tigers, and they--fought. I heard the sound of blows--one of them fell, the taller one--he got on to his feet in a minute: they fought a second time, then one gave a cry, a very sharp, sudden cry, and there was the sound of a body falling with a thud on the ground--afterward, silence--not a sound. I crept behind the furze bush. I was quite stunned. After a long time--at least it seemed a long time to me--one of the men went away, and the other man lay on his back with his face turned up to the sky. The man who had killed him turned in the direction of----" "In what direction?" asked Awdrey. "In the direction of----" Hetty looked full up at the Squire; the Squire's eyes met hers. "The town, sir." "Oh, the town," said Awdrey, giving vent to a short laugh. "From the way you looked at me, I thought you were going to say The Court." "Sir, Mr. Robert, do you think it was Mr. Everett?" "Who else could it have been?" replied Awdrey.