He had been reading the report over with Mrs. Forbes and her daughters,
after his return from Ellinor's room, and they were all participating in
his opinion upon it, when her request for the _Times_ was brought. They
had reluctantly agreed, saying there did not appear to be a shadow of
doubt on the fact of Dixon's having killed Mr. Dunster, only hoping there
might prove to be some extenuating circumstances, which Ellinor had
probably recollected, and which she was desirous of producing on the
approaching trial.
CHAPTER XIII.
Ellinor, having read the report of Dixon's examination in the newspaper,
bathed her eyes and forehead in cold water, and tried to still her poor
heart's beating, that she might be clear and collected enough to weigh
the evidence.
Every line of it was condemnatory. One or two witnesses spoke of Dixon's
unconcealed dislike of Dunster, a dislike which Ellinor knew had been
entertained by the old servant out of a species of loyalty to his master,
as well as from personal distaste. The fleam was proved beyond all doubt
to be Dixon's; and a man, who had been stable-boy in Mr. Wilkins's
service, swore that on the day when Mr. Dunster was missed, and when the
whole town was wondering what had become of him, a certain colt of Mr.
Wilkins's had needed bleeding, and that he had been sent by Dixon to the
farrier's for a horse-lancet, an errand which he had remarked upon at the
time, as he knew that Dixon had a fleam of his own.
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