"If you don't let me go," screamed Tom, "I shall do you a mischief! There she is coming towards us!" Slowly approaching them was a woman in a pink dress, holding her head down. "Now, Tom," whispered Garden. "It will be over in a moment or two. For God's sake keep still, or you will ruin everything! Do you say that dress is blue?" "What trick are you playing me?" exclaimed Tom, in a hoarse, broken voice. "Do you want to drive me mad? It _is_ blue, I tell you! I'll take my dying oath on it!" The woman was now very near to them. She raised her head, and Tom started back in affright as he recognised the face of Aunt Leth. "Tom," she said, holding out her hand. But Tom, holding his hands out-stretched before him, shrank from her as she advanced. "Tom," said Garden, "you know Mrs. Lethbridge?" "Yes," replied Tom, in the voice of a man who was utterly dazed, "I know her." "Would she knowingly deceive you? Would she, whose one great hope is that of saving Miss Farebrother's life, knowingly tell you a lie?" "No; she could not, she could not!" "Mrs. Lethbridge," said Garden, "what is the colour of the dress you are wearing?" "Pink," said Aunt Leth, with wistful trembling. "Pink!" muttered Tom. "Am I going mad?" "And here is Mr. Cornwall," said Garden, as Fred joined them. "Fred, what is the colour of the dress Mrs. Lethbridge has on?" "Pink," said Fred. "Mrs. Pamflett's favourite colour," said Garden. "The colour of the dress she wore when you saw her here on the night of the murder." "If you've got any pity in you, sir," implored Tom, "tell me what all this means!" "It means, Tom," answered Garden, "that Miss Farebrother is saved, and her innocence proved. It means, Tom, that you are colour-blind. By the mercy of God this has been discovered in time. See to Mrs. Lethbridge, Fred; she is fainting!" CHAPTER XVI. JEREMIAH AND HIS MOTHER DISAPPEAR.