again, thinking of the long night-hours before him, not as those do
who long to rest, but as those who expect to "watch for the
morning".



CHAPTER VIII

When Godfrey Cass returned from Mrs. Osgood's party at midnight, he
was not much surprised to learn that Dunsey had not come home.
Perhaps he had not sold Wildfire, and was waiting for another chance--
perhaps, on that foggy afternoon, he had preferred housing
himself at the Red Lion at Batherley for the night, if the run had
kept him in that neighbourhood; for he was not likely to feel much
concern about leaving his brother in suspense. Godfrey's mind was
too full of Nancy Lammeter's looks and behaviour, too full of the
exasperation against himself and his lot, which the sight of her
always produced in him, for him to give much thought to Wildfire, or
to the probabilities of Dunstan's conduct.

The next morning the whole village was excited by the story of the
robbery, and Godfrey, like every one else, was occupied in gathering
and discussing news about it, and in visiting the Stone-pits. The
rain had washed away all possibility of distinguishing foot-marks,
but a close investigation of the spot had disclosed, in the
direction opposite to the village, a tinder-box, with a flint and
steel, half sunk in the mud. It was not Silas's tinder-box, for the
only one he had ever had was still standing on his shelf; and the
inference generally accepted was, that the tinder-box in the ditch
was somehow connected with the robbery. A small minority shook