The sight of it made her examine still further,
but there was nothing else that could afford any evidence, so she
locked the box, and sat down on the floor to contemplate the
articles; now with a sickening despair, now with a kind of wondering
curiosity, how her father had managed to evade observation. After
all it was easy enough. He had evidently got possession of some gun
(was it really Jem's? was he an accomplice? No! she did not believe
it; he never, never would deliberately plan a murder with another,
however he might be wrought up to it by passionate feeling at the
time. Least of all would he accuse her to her father, without
previously warning her; it was out of his nature).
Then having obtained possession of the gun, her father had loaded it
at home, and might have carried it away with him some time when the
neighbours were not noticing, and she was out, or asleep; and then
he might have hidden it somewhere to be in readiness when he should
want it. She was sure he had no such thing with him when he went
away the last time.
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