Neither parents, relatives, nor friends appear to have a
suspicion of anyone."
"Are there no conjectures as to motives?" asked Helen, feeling with
joy her power of dissimulation gather strength.
"No end of them. She was a beautiful creature, they say,
sweet-tempered as a dove, and of course fond of admiration--whence
the conjectures all turn on jealousy. The most likely thing seems,
that she had some squire of low degree, of whom neither parents nor
friends knew anything. That they themselves suspect this, appears
likely from their more than apathy with regard to the discovery of
the villain. I am strongly inclined to take the matter in hand
myself."
"We must get him out of the country as soon as possible," thought
Helen.
"I should hardly have thought it worthy of your gifts, George," she
said, "to turn police-man. For my part, I should not relish hunting
down any poor wretch."
"The sacrifice of individual choice is a claim society has upon each
of its members," returned Bascombe. "Every murderer hanged, or
better, imprisoned for life, is a gain to the community."
Helen said no more, and presently turned homewards, on the plea that
she must not be longer absent from her invalid.
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