“I hear your brother Jim has gone t’ Boston,” Miss Daggett was saying with a simper.

From the rear Fanny heard Judge Fulsom’s rumbling monotone, earnestly addressed to her husband: 

“Not that Boston ain’t a nice town t’ live in; but we’ll have t’ enter a demurrer against her staying there f’r good.  Y’ see—­”

“Yes,” said Fanny, smiling at Miss Daggett.  “He went several days ago.”

“H’m-m,” murmured Miss Daggett. “She’s livin’ there, ain’t she?”

“You mean Miss Orr?”

“I mean Miss Lyddy Bolton.  I guess Bolton’s a good ’nough name for her.”

From the Judge, in a somewhat louder tone: 

“That’s th’ way it looks t’ me, dominie; an’ if all th’ leadin’ citizens of Brookville’ll put their name to it—­an’ I’m of th’ opinion they will, when I make my charge t’ th’ jury—­”

“Certainly,” murmured Fanny absently, as she gazed at her husband and the judge.

She couldn’t help wondering why her Wesley was speaking so earnestly to the Judge, yet in such a provokingly low tone of voice.

“I had become so accustomed to thinking of her as Lydia Orr,” she finished hastily.

“Well, I don’t b’lieve in givin’ out a name ’at ain’t yourn,” said Lois Daggett, sharply.  “She’d ought t’ ‘a’ told right out who she was, an’ what she come t’ Brookville for.”

Judge Fulsom and the minister had moved still further away.  Fanny, with some alarm, felt herself alone.

“I don’t think Miss Orr meant to be deceitful,” she said nervously.

“Well, o’ course, if she’s a-goin’ t’ be in th’ family, it’s natural you sh’d think so,” said Lois Daggett, sniffing loudly.

Fanny did not answer.

“I sh’d hope she an’ Jim was engaged,” proclaimed Miss Daggett.  “If they ain’t, they’d ought t’ be.”

“Why should you say that, Miss Lois?” asked Fanny hurriedly.  “They are very good friends.”

Miss Daggett bent forward, lowering her voice.

“The’s one thing I’d like t’ know f’r certain,” she said:  “Did Jim Dodge find that body?”

Fanny stared at her inquisitor resentfully.

“There were a good many persons searching,” she said coldly.

Miss Daggett wagged her head in an irritated fashion.

“Of course I know that,” she snapped.  “What I want t’ know is whether Jim Dodge—­”

“I never asked my brother,” interrupted Fanny.  “It all happened so long ago, why not—­”

“Not s’ terrible long,” disagreed Miss Daggett.  “It was th’ first o’ November.  N’ I’ve got a mighty good reason f’r askin’.”

“You have?” murmured Fanny, flashing a glance of entreaty at her husband.