"Miss Lester laughed at my warning; so when she left Lucas I saw him again, and revealed our relationship; also I urged him for his own sake to give up his foolish fancy for the doctor's daughter and marry Miss Clyde. He was much astonished to learn that he was my grandson, but refused to leave Miss Lester or to marry the other lady. Also, he told me that he had fancied, from certain words let fall by his aunt--a foolish woman--that he was partly a gipsy, and had said as much to a lady called Catinka, who in her turn told Squire Herne. Well, I could not induce Lucas to give over his folly, but when he told me that he intended to meet Miss Lester in the Winding Lane on the next night, I wrote to Squire Herne in London and warned him of the meeting." "How did she know your address, Herne?" asked Chaskin. "I told it to her, so that she might advise me of Milly's behaviour with Lovel." "That was unworthy of you," said the Vicar coldly; "no English gentleman should condescend to employ a spy." "I know, I know!" cried Herne with an ashamed look; "but let it pass. Go on, Drek." The inspector continued to read: "The next evening, after eight o'clock, I went to the Winding Lane to see what would occur. I did not know if Squire Herne would come down in answer to my letter, but I knew that if he did he would certainly kill the girl. I had heard his determination to do so." "I wished to save her soul," groaned the Squire; "now I see that I was wrong." "In the Winding Lane, close by the stile," read Drek rapidly, "I saw Miss Lester and Lucas talking together. I was hidden in the bushes near them. Shortly afterwards Squire Herne, wrapped in a heavy cloak, stole through the wood. I saw him pause a short distance away from me. I could have almost touched him. He had a pistol in his hand. I thought he was going to shoot the girl, and I was glad----" "Horrible! horrible!" cried Chaskin, with a pale face. "I was glad because I wished her out of the way, so that Lucas could marry Miss Clyde. But Squire Herne did not shoot, although, as I thought, he had stood up to do so. I crept near him, and found that he was in a trance, and quite incapable of motion. I suppose rage at the sight of Lucas and Miss Lester threw him into the trance. The pistol had fallen from his hand and lay on the grass. I seized it, for I was angered to think that my plot to rid myself of the girl by the hand of Squire Herne should fail. I waited for a moment, and then raised the pistol and fired. Miss Lester fell with a cry, and I saw Lucas bending over her. Then I put the pistol in my pocket, and crept away as quickly as I could. When I got to the borders of the wood I ran across the common and back to my tent. I thought that I was safe, as the blame would be laid on Squire Herne. Also, that he might think himself that he had killed the girl while in his trance." "As I did," said Herne with a sigh.