At no farmhouse had she been seen, and the journey by the bridge was too long to have been accomplished before the snow storm must have impeded her.

It was in attempting this journey, Bates was convinced, that she had perished.

There was, of course, another possibility that had been mooted at Turrifs Settlement; but the testimony of Bates and Saul, agreeing in the main points, had entirely silenced it.

Trenholme, thinking of this now, longed to question more nearly, yet hardly dared.
"Do you think she could have gone mad?
People sometimes do go stark mad suddenly.

Because, if so, and if you could be mistaken in thinking you saw her in the house when you went--" The Scotchman was looking keenly at him with sharp eyes and haggard face.