There was a large and bulky envelope, though, with the seal of Government House, and marked "Immediate." What could it be? On the top of a thick body of folio paper he found a letter. It was from Fenella Stanley. "DEAR MR. GELL,--At the suggestion of Mr. Stowell, who is still in London, I am writing on behalf of the Women's Protection League, to ask you if you can undertake the defence of the young woman in the north of the island who is to be charged with the murder of her new-born child." Alick paused a moment to draw breath. "You will see by the report of the High Bailiff's inquiry and the copy of the Depositions which I enclose that the girl denies everything, and that her mother supports her, but the evidence is only too sadly against her--particularly that of the doctors and of two neighbours who live higher up the glen." Alick felt his heart stop and his whole body grew cold. "Her step-father...." The letter almost dropped from his fingers. "Her step-father has not been asked by the prosecution to depose, and it is doubtful if the defence ought to call him." He was becoming dizzy. The lines of the letter were running into each other. "Innocent or guilty, the girl has suffered terribly. She has been several days in hospital at Ramsey, but she was to be removed to Castle Rushen this morning. Her case is to come on next week at the Court of General Gaol Delivery, so perhaps you will send me a telegram immediately saying if you can take up the defence. "As you see the poor creature is herself an illegitimate child--the name by which she is commonly known being Bessie Collister." Alick shrieked. He had seen the blow coming, but when it came it fell on him like a thunderbolt. It was all a lie--a damned lie! Nobody would make him believe it. Bessie arrested for the murder of her child! She had never had a child. He leapt to his feet and tramped the room on stiffened limbs and with a heart throbbing with anger. Then, half afraid, but doing his best to compose himself, he took the report and the Depositions out of the big envelope, and, sitting before the dead hearth with his shaking feet on the fender, and holding the folio pages in his dead-cold hands, he read the evidence. As he did so he shrieked again, but this time with laughter. What a tissue of manifest lies! The Skillicornes and their quarrel with Dan Baldromma--what a malicious conspiracy! Lord, what blind fools the police could be! And the Attorney, had he come to his second childhood? Again and again Alick thumped the desk with his fist and filled the air of the room with the dust that rose in the sunshine which was now pouring through the windows.