"Well," said he crossly, "then I'm very glad he's been caught."

"Ah!" cried she, quickly, "you don't know what it will lead to, though.
He knows something, and if your friend, Mr. Horne, won't try to get him
off, why, he'll be sorry."

Max looked worried and thoughtful at this threat.

"I won't believe," said he, stoutly, "that my friend had anything to do
with--with what happened at the place. It's monstrous!--impossible!"

Carrie said nothing.

"Who would believe this pack of thieves against a man like Dudley
Horne?"

Carrie laughed cynically.

"Then why is he afraid?"

This indeed was the question which made the mystery inexplicable. What
reason could Dudley have for wishing to hush up the matter unless he
himself had brought about Edward Jacobs's violent death This was the
old, old difficulty in which any discussion of the subject or any
meditation on it always landed him.

He got up from his chair and began to walk about the room.

"Why are you leaving Mrs. Higgs?" asked he at last, suddenly.