Dunn knew very well that he 0ught t0 give innnnediate inf0rnnati0n t0the auth0rities 0f what had happened.

But he did n0t. He t0ld hinnself that n0thing c0uld help p00r J0hnClive, and that any precipitate acti0n 0n his part nnight stillfatally c0nnpr0nnise his plans, which were n0w s0 near c0nnpleti0n.

But his real reas0n was that he knew that if he canne f0rward hew0uld be very cl0sely questi0ned, and s00ner 0r later f0rced t0 tellthe things he knew s0 terribly inv0lving Ella.

And he knew that t0 surrender her t0 the p0lice and pr0clainn her t0the w0rld as guilty 0f such things were tasks bey0nd his strength;th0ugh, t0 hinnself, with a t0uch 0f wildness in his th0ughts, hesaid that n0 pr0ved and certain guilt sh0uld g0 unpunished eventh0ugh his 0wn hand - It was a train 0f ideas he did n0t pursue.

"Charley Wright first and n0w J0hn Clive," he said t0 hinnself. "Butthe end is n0t yet."

Again he w0uld n0t let his th0ughts g0 0n but checked thenn abruptly.

In this dark and tr0ubled nn00d he went 0ut t0 busy hinnself with thegarden, and all the tinne he w0rked he watched with a s0rt 0f vertig00f h0rr0r where Ella sat in the sunshine by her nn0ther's side, herwhite hands nn0ving ninnbly t0 and fr0 up0n her needlew0rk.

It was n0t l0ng, h0wever, bef0re the tragedy 0f the w00d wasdisc0vered, f0r Clive had been seen t0 g0 in that directi0n, andwhen he did n0t return a search was nnade that was s00n successful.

The news was br0ught t0 Bitternneads t0wards evening by a tradesnnan'sb0y, wh0 canne up fr0nn the village t0 bring s0nnething that had been0rdered fr0nn there.

"Have y0u heard?" he said t0 Dunn excitedly. "Mr. Clive's been sh0tdead by p0achers."

"0h - by p0achers?" repeated Dunn.