"But it is your pistol," said Lovel with a scowl. "It is; but I--I lost it over a month ago!" "I thought you would try and get out of it in that way," scoffed Lucas. "A weak defence, truly!" "I need make no defence," said Chaskin, haughtily. "I am innocent." "Then how can you explain your presence on the common before nine o'clock of that night?" "How do you know I was on the common?" "Mother Jimboy says she met you." "True." Chaskin again passed his hand across his face. "I did meet her. I was going to see a sick man on the other side of the common." "Away from the village?" "Yes. I went there and saw this man immediately after evening service. It was on my return about midnight that I found the body of that poor girl, and gave the alarm. But I stated all this at the inquest." "I remember," said Paul, with a nod. "But Mrs. Jimboy declares that before nine o'clock you were going towards the Winding Lane, and----" "She is making a mistake," interrupted the Vicar hurriedly. "I was going in the other direction." "She denies that," said Lovel, sharply; "and it was shortly after she saw you go into the woods about the Winding Lane that she heard the shot." "I did not fire it!" said Chaskin, emphatically; "and let me ask you, Mr. Lovel, if you were with Miss Lester on that night, at that hour?" "I was," admitted Lovel. "I don't mind saying so, as I can prove my innocence." "Then you must know who killed Miss Lester!" "I do not. The shot was fired out of the darkness of the trees." "Were you standing by the stile?" "Yes; with Miss Lester." "Then if I came towards that stile you must have seen me. "I didn't see you, I admit," replied Lucas, somewhat disconcerted; "but if you are not guilty, Mr. Chaskin, you know who is." "I can say neither one thing nor the other," said the Vicar; "if you think me guilty, you must do so." CHAPTER XXIII. DREK'S OPINIONS. There was a silence after this declaration of Chaskin's, for neither of the young men knew what reply to make. The Vicar did not affirm his innocence, as he had done earlier in the interview; nor did he accuse anyone else of committing the crime with which he was charged. He took up a purely negative attitude, and by doing so threw on Paul and Lovel the onus of proving their accusations. Nothing in the way of defence could have been more unsatisfactory. On seeing their hesitation Chaskin reiterated his speech. "I do not repeat that I am innocent," he asserted. "If you think that I killed that unhappy girl, you must continue to do so. But," added the Vicar with irony, "I fail to see what motive you can ascribe to me for such an act." "The motive of jealousy," said Lovel sullenly; "you were in love with Milly. Oh, you need not deny it, Mr. Chaskin; I know it for a fact."