I believe that he was tired of his sweet young wife; that his marriage was a burden and a trouble to him somehow; that it had arisen out of an impulse that had passed away." "All this might be, and yet the man be innocent." "He might be--yes, sir.

It is a hard thing, perhaps, even to think him guilty for a moment.

But it is so difficult to account in any common way for Mrs.Holbrook's disappearance.

If there had been murder done" (the girl shuddered as she said the words)--"a common murder, such as one hears of in lonely country places--surely it must have come to light before this, after the search that has been made all round about.

But it would have been easy enough for Mr.Holbrook to decoy his wife away to London or anywhere else.