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 "either at grandfather's order, or else as a result of bungling something which grandfather wanted him to do; that, I'd rather believe."

"That's what I think," Barney added quietly.

"Do you honestly? Well," Ethel continued, "we know the one who was killed was Quinlan. For about forty-five years ago, Mr. Loutrelle—maybe it was a little earlier and maybe it wasn't quite so long ago—something happened in the woods in Michigan. I think it gave Quinlan, who was a sawyer for grandfather, a certain power over him—so far as I can see—grandfather felt it at different times. I think—and I'm talking out to you what I think as I've never done with any one else, Mr. Loutrelle—that power accounts for the Quinlans' trips to Europe; grandfather gave them money to get them out of the way. Also the gifts. Then there must have been times when my people were not so afraid of Quinlan; at least they didn't give him so much money but only treated him like a privileged employee. But about the time that you started for St. Florentin—about the time that my father was trying to tell you to find Resurrection Rock—Quinlan changed and became dangerous to my family. That night at St. Florentin, when I saw grandfather going about his house in the dark with his rifle under his arm, it was for fear of Quinlan coming to find him. For my uncle had learned that Quinlan was missing here; he had gone there. So my uncle warned grandfather, and Kincheloe went out after a fox and came back and told grandfather that Quinlan was dead and would never trouble him any more, for he had killed him and put him into the lake."

She arose from her chair and stood before it, gazing