"No, he intended to do so, but God mercifully stayed his hand. He fell into a trance, and when in such a condition he can do nothing. I believe that the assassin saw him stiff and rigid in his trance, and took the revolver out of his hand to kill the girl. The deed done, the assassin fled, and Herne came out of his cataleptic state to find the dead body of the girl. At first he thought Lovel had acted thus; but when Catinka told him that she had seen him fire the pistol himself he withdrew his accusation."
"H'm! it might be as you say, sir, but----"
"Chaskin! Frank! where are you?"
"There is Herne!" said the Vicar rising rapidly. "In his present state of mind he must not see you. I'll keep him in the bedroom."
He walked rapidly towards the door of the inner room; but before he could enter it was flung violently open, and Herne, in a terrible state of excitement, threw himself into the arms of his friend.
"Frank! Frank!" he gasped, "I Have been dreaming; the devils came in my dream to drag me down for the sin on my soul. I killed Milly, and they want my soul!"
"My dear Darcy, you did not kill Milly," said Chaskin, soothing the distraught man as he would a child. "You are innocent."
"No, no; I am guilty! guilty! There is blood on my hands! Yet I killed her to save her soul. God knows I wanted to save her from sin. I--I--ah! what!"--his gaze suddenly fell on Drek--"are you there, bloodhound of the law? Do you come to take me to gaol? Do so, do so; I fear no punishment of man, for God has laid the burden of Cain upon me."
"I have not come to arrest you, Mr. Herne," said Drek, pitying the nervous agitation of the man. "I believe you to be innocent."
"Then you believe wrongly," retorted Herne, recovering himself a trifle. "I came down on that night from London in disguise to kill Lovel and Milly--to punish the first and save the second. I took Chaskin's pistol with me--he will tell you so--and I shot my poor darling."