“Don’t reproach yourself, Hungerford. Of course you had no reason to suppose Buckstone was within two hundred miles of Poppleton,” interposed Dick Birch. “Certainly there is no occasion to attach any blame to yourself, Mr. Hungerford,” added Dr. Bilks. “Poor Mary!” sighed Eugene. “This is another heavy weight added to her burden. But how is she, doctor? How does she bear it?” “Much better than I expected she would. Ross came for me about two o’clock this morning. He told me what he had done, on the way to the island.” Dr. Bilks then narrated with great minuteness all the particulars of his visit to Mary, and all that Ross had told him about the circumstances attending the murder. “I did not intend to say a word of the matter, but this morning I found that the story was flying through the Port.” “But who told it, if you did not?” demanded Dick Birch. “I don’t know. The sheriff has arrested Ross, and taken him to the county jail.” “You say there was a man with Buckstone on the island?” “So Ross told me.” “Who was he?” “That is what I would like to know,” replied the doctor. “Ross told me that this person offered Buckstone a ‘consideration’ for marrying Mary. Of course he was an interested party. I at once concluded that this person was Mr. Birch.” “Dick!” exclaimed Eugene. “You remember the plan you mentioned to me, Mr. Birch, for making everything all right with the poor girl?” “I did speak to you about it; and I have spoken to Mr. Hungerford about it since his return; but I never proposed to offer Buckstone a consideration for marrying her. I would have hung him to the nearest tree, before I would have given him a dollar,” replied Dick, indignantly. “Then you were not the person with Buckstone?” said Dr. Bilks. “I was not! Most decidedly, I was not!” answered Dick, emphatically, and rather disgusted with the doctor for entertaining such a thought, even for an instant. “I might have known that a gentleman of your lofty principles and high sense of honor would not have done even this good deed surreptitiously,” added Dr. Bilks, apologetically, “When I supposed you were the person, I attributed to you none but the best of motives.” “You do me no more than justice, doctor,” said Dick. “But who was this person?” “That’s a mystery to me. I know of no one, except Mary’s own friends, who are interested in having justice done to her.” “Poor Mary!” sighed Eugene. “She is a widow now.” “If she was a wife, she is a widow,” added the doctor. “It appears that Buckstone told her that he did not himself know whether they were married or not. You are a lawyer, Mr. Birch; perhaps you can decide the question.” “Without evidence, I cannot. As at present informed, I do not think it was a legal marriage.” “I am no lawyer, but I differ from you,” said the doctor, with a smile.