B.HEATHERSTONE." It was going on for dawn by the time that I had finished this extraordinary narrative, to which my sister and Mordaunt Heatherstone listened with the most absorbed attention.

Already we could see through the window that the stars had begun to fade and a grey light to appear in the east.

The crofter who owned the lurcher dog lived a couple of miles off, so it was time for us to be on foot.

Leaving Esther to tell my father the story in such fashion as she might, we thrust some food in our pockets and set off upon our solemn and eventful errand..