“That’s well enough. Miss Hallam, but I’ll tak’ it mysen into God’s council-chamber—there’s no key on that door, and there’s no fee to pay either. He’ll put ivery thing right, see if he doesn’t!”
“And besides, Sister Martha, things may not be as far wrong as we think they are—may not be wrong at all. God moves in a mysterious way.”
“And he needs to, Sister Phyllis. There’s many a soul ‘ud run away from him, even when he was coming to help ‘em, if they knew it was him.” “I understand what you mean, Martha—‘as a thief in the night.’ He breaks all bars and bursts all doors closed against him when he visits either a soul or a cause. I heard you were at Leeds. Do you mind telling us how things went? The squire will not talk to any one.”
“I nivver was one to shut my grief up i’ my heart, and let it poison my life; not I, indeed. It seemed to me, though, as varry little fight were made for Ben Clough afore he died; he’d signed a paper, declaring positive as it were Ben who shot him; and t’ case were half done when that were said. Then Bingley were sworn, and he said, as he were coming ovver t’ moor, about half past six, he heard a shot, and saw Ben Craven come from behind a whin bush, and run toward t’ village; and a minute after Bill Laycock came in sight; and Ben, he said, ran past him, also; and Laycock looked after Ben, and said to Bingley—‘that’s Ben Craven; he’s in a bit of a hurry, I think.’”
“Was Laycock coming from the moor also?”
“Nay, he was coming from t’ village, and was going across t’ moor to a knur match on Eltham Common.”
“Did Laycock swear to that?”
“Ay, he did. He were varry loth to do it; for Ben and him hed laked together when they were lads, and been thick as thack iver since, till Mary Clough came between ‘em. But I noticed one thing, and I think the jury saw it, too—when Laycock were asked, ‘if he were sure it was Ben that passed him,’ he turned white to the varry lips, and could scarce make out to whisper, ‘Ay, he were sure.‘ Then Ben looked at him, and I’ll nivver forget that look, no, nor any body else that saw it, and least of a’ t’ man hes got it.”
“You think Laycock swore to a lie?”
“I know he swore to a lie.”