occurred to you?"

"No," Bill said slowly, "oi should never ha' thought of it myself;
Luke told oi what to wroit, and I wroited it."

"Oh, it was Luke! was it?" Ned said sharply. "Then the man who did
it must have told him."

"Oi didn't mean to let out as it waar Luke," Bill said in confusion;
"and oi promised him solemn to say nowt about it."

"Well," Ned said, turning sharp round and starting on his way back
to the village, "I must see Luke himself."

Bill in great perplexity followed Ned, muttering: "Oh, Lor'! what
ull Luke say to oi? What a fellow oi be to talk, to be sure!"

Nothing further was said until they reached Luke's cottage. Ned
knocked and entered at once, followed sheepishly by Bill.

"Maister Ned, oi be main glad to see thee," Luke said as he rose
from his place by the fire; while Polly with a little cry, "Welcome!"
dropped her work.

"Thanks, Luke--thanks for coming over to York to give evidence.
How are you, Polly? There! don't cry--I ain't worth crying over.
At any rate, it is a satisfaction to be with three people who
don't regard me as a murderer. Now, Polly, I want you to go into
the other room, for I have a question which I must ask Luke, and
I don't want even you to hear the answer."