When they got to the place where his first track diverged straight to the shed, she and Morin stopped to exchange remarks; they evidently perceived in this the clearest evidence of all against him.  Had he not gone straight to the place where the accomplice had agreed to wait?  Then Madge fell back a little to where he was now plodding in the rear.  She accosted him in the soft tones that had from the first so charmed him, contrasting with her sister’s voice as the tones of a reed-pipe contrast with those from metal, or as the full voice of the cuckoo with the shrill chirp of the sparrow.  The soft voice was very serious, the manner more than sedate, the words studied.

’I am afraid that nothing that I can say will persuade you to alter a way of life which you seem to have chosen, but it seems to me very sad that one of your ability should so degrade himself.’

She stopped with a little gasp for breath, as if frightened at her own audacity.  Her manner and phrases were an evident imitation of the way in which she had heard advice bestowed upon vagrant or criminal by the benevolent judge whose memory she so tenderly cherished.  It was second nature to her to act as she fancied he would have acted.  Courthope composed himself to receive the judicial admonition with becoming humility; his whole sympathy was with her, his mind was aglow with the quaint humour of it.

‘You must know,’ rebuked Madge, ’how very wrong it is; and it is not possible that you could have difficulty in getting some honest employment.’

‘It is very kind of you to interest yourself in me.’  He kept his eyes upon the ground.

’I do not know, of course, what led you to begin a life of crime, or in what way you found out what houses in this country were worth robbing, but I fear you must have led a wicked life for a long time’ (she was very severe now).  ’You are young yet; why should you carry on your nefarious schemes in a new country, where, if you would, you could easily reform?’ (Again a little gasp for breath.) ’I have promised to let you go without giving you into the hands of the law.  I am afraid I did a selfish and weak thing, because others may suffer from your crimes, and I wish you could take this opportunity, which my leniency gives you, and try to reform before you have lost your reputation as well as your character.’

‘It is very kind of you,’ he murmured again; and still as he walked he looked upon his feet.  He had no thought now of again denying his guilt; having denied and, as she thought, confessed, he felt that to change once more would only evoke her greater scorn.  ‘Let be,’ his heart said.  ‘Let come what will, I will not confuse her further to-day.’

CHAPTER VI

They passed the shed, making a straight march, as swift as might be, for the fallen man; but before they reached him they saw some one coming, a black, increasing form in the snowy distance.  Morin hesitated.  If the thief had arisen, strong and able-bodied, it was clear that they had again been tricked for an evil purpose.  Even Madge looked alarmed, and they both raised a halloo in the patois of the region.  The answer that came across the reach of the storm cheered them.