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he stole my inheritance from me, as well as eleven years of my life. I spoke against him, and I shall do so as long as I have breath, but I never raised my hand, or told anyother man to. As far as I know, it was a just God who finally punished him. And if I wait my time, and plead my cause before the people, perhaps He’ll give me back what’s mine as well.”
    “Over my dead body!” Benjamin said bitterly. “I’ll not accuse you of murder until I can prove it, but then I will. And I’ll see you on the end of a rope.”
    “Not if there’s any justice under heaven, you won’t,” Gower retorted. “I didn’t kill him.” And with a harsh, sneering smile still on his face he strode past them through the snow back toward the center of the village, the wind off the lakeshore tugging at the tails of his coat.
    Benjamin watched him until he was out of sight, then he and Henry rode back toward the estate.
    “I love this land,” he said after a little while. “I’d forgotten how good it feels. I couldn’t bear it to be poisoned by that man. I know Judah. The idea that he would be dishonest in anything is absurd. What can we do about it, Henry? How do we stop him saying these things?”
    Henry had been dreading that question. “I don’tknow. I’ve been trying to think of a way, but after meeting Gower, every sort of reason seems doomed to failure. He has convinced himself that the deeds were genuine.”
    “That’s ridiculous!” Benjamin said abruptly. “They were not only forgeries, they weren’t even good ones. The expert swore to it, but anyone could have seen it when one looked. Gower’s just so corroded with hatred he’s lost his wits. Maybe prison has turned his mind.” He looked at Henry. “You don’t think he’s a danger to Antonia, do you?”
    Henry did not know how to answer honestly. He longed to be reassuring, but there had been a wild hatred in Ashton Gower which defied reason. He had no doubt that the man was guilty of forging in a stupid attempt to get the estate. It had apparently been such a poor attempt that any serious look at it must have told him it was not genuine. Even if Henry had not known Judah, there was the testimony of the expert. Perhaps Benjamin was right, and Gower had lost his mental balance in prison. Heaven knows, he would not be the first man to do that.
    “Henry!” Benjamin said sharply.
    “I don’t know.” Henry was forced to be honest. “I think we should warn Antonia. The servants must be told. The house must be locked securely at night. You have dogs, they would warn of anyone who should not be around. It may all be unnecessary, but as long as Gower remains in the area, and in the frame of mind he is, I think it would be better.”
    Benjamin stopped, reining in his horse hard, and turning in the saddle. “Do you think he murdered Judah?”
    It was a jarringly ugly thought, but it had been on the edge of his own mind, too. “I really don’t know,” Henry admitted. “I think he is an evil man, and possibly a little mad. But better we should take preventions we don’t need, than that we should fail, and regret it afterwards when it is too late.”
    “How can we warn Antonia without frightening her?”
    “I don’t believe we can.”
    “But that’s … God damn Gower!” Benjamin swore savagely. “God damn him to hell!”

PART TWO

It stopped snowing in the evening, and a hard wind blew down the lake, whining in the eaves and rattling the windows. But in the morning when Henry pulled the curtains, even before Mrs. Hardcastle came with tea, there were bare patches on the north and west faces of the hills, and lower down the snow had drifted deep against walls and fences.
    The postmaster arrived after breakfast with a telegraph message from Ephraim, sent the day before from Lancaster, to say that he would be arriving on the midday train. The lawyer also rode up from the village, before going on to Penrith, to speak about the estate to Antonia and