"Certainly not. Slade had no motive to kill the girl. Zara was not married to him, but to Mayne."
"What about Pharaoh Lee?"
"Oh! he was in the North when Zara was there," replied Carwell, "and if he were guilty he would hardly have sought the assistance of the Poldew police. No! I can't think who is the guilty person."
"Time will show," said Johnson, rising. "Has Pharaoh been caught yet? I hear the police are after him."
"They might as well try to catch a flash of lightning," said Carwell, gloomily. "Lee has had twelve hours' start of them, and, now he has accomplished his vengeance, I do not think he will be seen in these parts again. I hope he will go free," added the farmer, unconsciously echoing the wish of Miss Arnott. "After all, he only gave Mayne what he deserved."
"Brother Carwell, that is not the speech of a Christian."
"Perhaps not; but it is hard to be a Christian under the circumstances."
Clearly, Parmer Carwell's character and temper had not improved under the trouble that had come upon him. Yet Johnson, in spite of his sacred profession, did not feel called upon to reprove the old man over much. To know that his only child loved a proven scoundrel and wished to marry him was provocation indeed. And Rachel, in the face of all she knew, declared her intention of becoming Mayne's wife when he recovered. She had a thousand excuses for his conduct.
"Men are weak," said Rachel, when her father tried to reason her out of this infatuation, "and Herbert is no worse than the rest of them. That girl Zara tempted him, and he fell. It was honourable of him to make her his wife. I dare say he need not have done so."
"Rachel! Rachel! Is it my child who speaks thus?"