E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) The Shadow of a Crime THE DEEMSTER by HALL CAINE Hall Caine's Best Books In Three Volumes Volume I P. F. Collier & Son New York CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE DEATH OF OLD EWAN CHAPTER II. A MAN CHILD IS BORN CHAPTER III. THE CHRISTENING OF YOUNG EWAN CHAPTER IV. THE DEEMSTER OF MAN CHAPTER V. THE MANXMAN'S BISHOP CHAPTER VI. THE COZY NEST AT BISHOP'S COURT CHAPTER VII. DANNY THE MADCAP CHAPTER VIII. PASSING THE LOVE OF WOMEN CHAPTER IX. THE SERVICE ON THE SHORE CHAPTER X. THE FIRST NIGHT WITH THE HERRINGS CHAPTER XI. THE HERRING BREAKFAST CHAPTER XII. DAN'S PENANCE CHAPTER XIII. HOW EWAN MOURNED FOR HIS WIFE CHAPTER XIV. WRESTLING WITH FATE CHAPTER XV. THE LIE THAT EWAN TOLD CHAPTER XVI. THE PLOWING MATCH CHAPTER XVII. THE WRONG WAY WITH DAN CHAPTER XVIII. THE BLIND WOMAN'S SECOND SIGHT CHAPTER XIX. HOW EWAN FOUND DAN CHAPTER XX. BLIND PASSION AND PAIN CHAPTER XXI. THE VOICE IN THE NIGHT CHAPTER XXII. ALONE, ALONE--ALL, ALL ALONE! CHAPTER XXIII. ALONE ON A WIDE, WIDE SEA CHAPTER XXIV. "THERE'S GOLD ON THE CUSHAGS YET." CHAPTER XXV. A RESURRECTION INDEED CHAPTER XXVI. HOW EWAN CAME TO CHURCH CHAPTER XXVII. HOW THE NEWS CAME TO THE BISHOP CHAPTER XXVIII. THE CHILD GHOST IN THE HOUSE CHAPTER XXIX. BY BISHOP'S LAW OR DEEMSTER'S CHAPTER XXX. THE DEEMSTER'S INQUEST CHAPTER XXXI. FATHER AND SON CHAPTER XXXII. DIVINATION CHAPTER XXXIII. KIDNAPPED CHAPTER XXXIV. A RUDE TRIBUNAL CHAPTER XXXV. THE COURT OF GENERAL JAIL DELIVERY CHAPTER XXXVI. CUT OFF FROM THE PEOPLE THE BRIEF RELATION OF DANIEL MYLREA CHAPTER XXXVII. OF HIS OUTCAST STATE CHAPTER XXXVIII. OF HIS WAY OF LIFE CHAPTER XXXIX. OF THE GHOSTLY HAND UPON HIM CHAPTER XL. OF HIS GREAT LONELINESS CHAPTER XLI. OF HOW HE KEPT HIS MANHOOD CHAPTER XLII. OF THE BREAKING OF THE CURSE CHAPTER XLIII. OF HIS GREAT RESOLVE CHAPTER XLIV. THE SWEATING SICKNESS CHAPTER XLV. "OUR FATHER, WHICH ART IN HEAVEN" THE DEEMSTER CHAPTER I THE DEATH OF OLD EWAN Thorkell Mylrea had waited long for a dead man's shoes, but he was wearing them at length. He was forty years of age; his black hair was thin on the crown and streaked with gray about the temples; the crow's-feet were thick under his small eyes, and the backs of his lean hands were coated with a reddish down. But he had life in every vein, and restless energy in every limb.