human
What does she mean, sir?
gpt
I think you can guess,
human
No; upon my word, I----
gpt
Don't! don't!
human
I can't bear it. Captain Lestrange----
gpt
Ah! said Alan fiercely.
human
I might have guessed he had been making mischief. Well, and what does he say?
gpt
That you stole my father's body, Alan!
human
I--I--stole the body?
gpt
Yes! chimed in the Rector.
human
And he further says that you took it to the hut on the heath, where Warrender's corpse was found.
gpt
Oh, indeed! cried the young man derisively.
human
And did I murder Warrender, too?
gpt
Alan! Alan! Oh, don't jest! If you love me, Alan, tell me the truth.
human
Sophy! What do you mean? He pushed away his plate and rose.
gpt
Do you believe this man's tale for one moment? Am I the man to violate a grave--to drag the remains of a man I respected and honored to the light of day? You must be mad to think of such a thing! How dare he bring forward such a terrible--such a dastardly accusation? For what reason does he say that I did it?
human
Out of revenge, I expect, said Phelps.
gpt
He dislikes you, Alan. He says you took poor Marlow's body to dissect it.
human
And bases his lie upon some gossip of my having been a medical student, I suppose? cried the young man, now thoroughly angry.
gpt
I'll thrash the scoundrel within an inch of his life!
human
Oh, Alan, I am so glad--so thankful! I said so, didn't I, Mr. Phelps? You didn't do it!
gpt
Do it--of course I didn't do it! Why should I? Phelps, --Alan forgot his respect for the Rector in his rage--
human
Knowing you as I do, I don't believe it. But I must say that Lestrange--he is a very dangerous man--makes out a strong case against you.
gpt
Oh! Let me hear on what grounds.
human
Alan! Sophy came forward and took him by the lapels of his coat,
gpt
Now I understand, Mr. Phelps. Jarks has told you.
human
Told me what?
gpt
I see! I see! Alan sat down again.
human
It's all right, Sophy. I kept that from you only that you should not be worried. So Lestrange found out--from Jarks, I suppose--that I was at Heathton on the night of the funeral?
gpt
Yes, yes. Oh, Alan, is it true?
human
True--of course it is. Why should it not be true? Does the fact of my having been here corroborate this cock-and-bull story? You ought to know me better, Sophy, and you too, Phelps.
gpt
I couldn't believe it--I didn't,
human
Nor I. We both told him that he lied. But I must admit that things looked bad for you, as he put it. Why didn't you tell us you were at Heathton on that night? Why did you come? Was there any serious reason for such secrecy?
gpt
No reason whatsoever, replied the young man frankly,
human
Well, no, said the Rector,
gpt
Oh! So there are two of them in league to make trouble. A proper pair of scoundrels!
human
But, said Sophy, more composedly,
gpt
I came, said her lover, determined now to make a clean breast of it,
human
Did you expect, then, that there would be some foul play?
gpt
Well, I hardly know, sir. It was this way: After Mr. Marlow received that letter from the West Indies--which doubtless warned him that Lestrange was on his track--he was much worried. He would not tell me the reason, but kept speaking of some shock he had had which might cause his death. 'And I don't know if the scoundrel will let my body rest in its grave,' he said in a fit of passion. I asked to whom he alluded, but he would say no more. When he died so unexpectedly, his words came back to me. I wondered if he had enemies who might disturb his remains, and all that day after the funeral I felt so bothered about it that I could not rest without coming back to see if all was well.
human
And you found nothing wrong?
gpt
Nothing, sir. I was in the churchyard for about a quarter of an hour. I examined the door of the vault, and saw everything was right. As I came away I met Jarks; the rest you know.
human
You saw no signs of that tramp in the churchyard?
gpt
None! I expect he was sleeping when I was there. According to his story, it was after midnight when the vault was opened.
human
Alan, said Sophy, much relieved,
gpt
I did not go to Heathton Station. I stopped at Murbury, and walked from there across the heath. I went back the same way. I did so simply to keep the tongues of gossips quiet. I did not want you to be worried, Sophy; and after all, he said, after a pause,