he was permitted to escape--his body was found, after some days, in
a neighboring pond." Here Armstrong paused and covered his face with
both hands.

"The body was recognized as thy brother's?" inquired Holden.

"It had been in the water too long to be perfectly recognized, but
the height, and age, and color of the hair, and what there was left to
make it distinguishable, were sufficient to identify it as George's."

"There is no certainty then. Thy brother may be yet alive."

"There can be no doubt of his death. Thirty years have elapsed,
and were he in existence he must have been heard of. Twelve years
afterwards my Frances died, leaving me two children, a son and infant
daughter. God saw fit, in his providence, to take my boy, but left me
Faith, to lay my grey hairs in the grave. It will not be long before
she will do me that service."

Mr. Armstrong ceased speaking, and silence succeeded, which was at
last broken by the Solitary. He bent his brows with a keen, searching
glance upon his guest, and said:

"Thou wert false to thy brother."

"Yes, and his blood cries against me. Whither shall I turn to hide my
guilt?"

"Thou dost repent, then, of thy treachery?" inquired Holden, who
seemed determined to probe the wound to the bottom.