"I have had all I want," she answered. "I will get my hat and cloak and come at once."
At this juncture John appeared, and said, "Halloo! what's the matter?"
"I am going with Mr. Faxon," said Sinfire. "They want to examine me about the murder."
"It's my orders, Mr. Mainwaring," remarked Faxon, dejectedly. "And right sorry I am for it."
"What!" shouted John, in a terrible voice, and seeming to grow a foot taller, as he stepped forward threateningly. He stared fiercely at the poor sheriff; then his eyes passed over me, and rested upon Sinfire. After a moment he added, doggedly, "This lady shall not leave my house against her will while I'm the master of it!"
"It is not against my will, John," she said, stepping up to him and laying her hand on his arm. "If I cannot defend myself against this charge, no one else can defend me. I am not afraid: why should I be?" And indeed she showed no signs of fear. There was color in her cheeks, her eyes were bright, and her voice was full and cheerful. She even seemed to have been stimulated and inspirited by the sinister event; for her close attendance on mother, and the reaction from the excitement of our calamity, had made her unusually silent and depressed. But the sudden blow of the arrest had restored her to herself, as great natures are restored by what would crush lesser ones. She was ready for battle.
John and I accompanied her to Faxon's house, and saw that she was established as comfortably as circumstances allowed. Then we returned home, and both of us were silent: only, as we separated for the night, John said, "If anything happens to-morrow, Frank, you'll find a bundle of papers in my desk. The estate is entailed, of course; but I have my personal property, and can do what I like with it." I hardly grasped the meaning of this announcement, and do not understand it even now; for he could not possibly have foreseen what was to happen. That night I took Sinfire's place beside mother, who was, happily, unconscious of what was going forward, and appeared to be on the verge of a still further relapse into vacuity. She required very little attention, and I was able to give all my thoughts to a consideration of what was to come on the morrow, and to the course which I might pursue in case things took a bad turn. Towards morning I had made up my mind, and then I got some three hours' sleep. I believe John paced his room all night.
I shall not attempt any orderly record of what happened the next day. A crowd of persons filled the room in which the examination
