Out of her sphere - University Library

200 OUT OF HER SPHERE.
occurred to her to prevent his telling, by
so much as giving him the wrong draught
or withholding the right one. That would
have seemed akin to murder, and of any-
thing so like an infraction of the law Clare
had an instinctive dread. If murder could
be done in any other way; if this slow,
creeping, stealthy vengeance of hers was to
result in the death of Audley Dale; she
would not have been very sorry. To bring
that about she had done nothing of which
the law could take the slightest cognizance.
She had hesitated a moment before she swore
that the dead body she had seen was that of
her mistress ; then given her testimony to
the effect that, to the best of her belief, it
was. That saved her, in Clare's opinion.
Who but herself could tell what she believed
or did not believe ? But still she never
seriously contemplated Audley Dale's suf-
feriug the last penalty which justice ex-
acts from offenders. " There's one law