"But it's like cutting short a man's days," he half whimpered. "Silence! Do what I say, and no one need know what has occurred." "But--" "Silence, I say!" cried North, firmly now. "Get your hat; we must go to the church at once." Moredock stood half bent, and with his head turned to his companion. "Where--where is he, doctor?" "In the Candlish vault. I carried him there!" "Hah!" The sexton drew a long breath. "You must come on and remove all traces of the struggle in the vestry, and then--" "In the morslem, eh, doctor?" said the old man thoughtfully, and growing resigned to the difficulties of his position. "Well, we can put him where no one's likely to find him there. Hey, doctor, but it's been a bad thing for me to ha' met you!" "Your lanthorn and matches--quick!" said North. "There is no time to lose!" "But if--if--doctor?" "If what?" "If it is found out, you'll say a word for me. You've made me do all this. I do want to live my fifteen or twenty years more in peace." "Trust me as you've trusted me before," said North, who was now speaking calmly enough, and had grasped the situation. "I tell you it was an accident--a horrible accident. It was in fair fight; and I have come off none too well." "I'll stand by you, doctor," said the old man; "and we'll hide it safe. But there's Dally," he muttered to himself--"Dally. She'll know there's something wrong, for she won't believe. Not that he has gone away out o' fear o' doctor? Ay, she'll have to think that. My poor little lass--my poor little lass!" Volume 2, Chapter XVI. THE DOCTOR IS RELIEVED. The old clock wheezed, and rattled, and spun round, and its weights ran down as the doctor and old Moredock entered the belfry door. Then, as the portal was closed, the dark place seemed to be filled with sound as the chimes rang out the four quarters, and then the deep-toned strokes of hammer upon bell proclaimed that it was nearing day. "Only three o'clock," thought North, "and it seems as many days as hours." They passed into the church as soon as the old man had lit his lanthorn and covered it with the skirt of his coat, which he held so that the light fell only upon the matting, and here and there upon a brass or some half-worn letters cut in the stones. The chancel door stuck and refused to open till the old man had held down his lanthorn to see what held it. "What's here?" he whispered, as something glittered. "Young miss's bracelet," he added, as he dragged out the shining gewgaw, which Leo had dropped in her flight, and which had fallen close to the bottom of the door, and acted as a wedge. "Take hold, doctor." "Pah!" ejaculated North, drawing back. "Throw it away." "Ay, I'll throw it away," muttered the old man, stuffing the heavy gold circle into his pocket: "I'll throw it away. Hey, but lookye here."