HENRY DUNBAR.

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 76, 21 September 1865, Page 6

HENRY DUNBAR.

By the Author of Floyd," Lady ' .Dudley's Secret;? &c>, &c ' . , ...... ' . , ; • >v ; ; ; / : .;;j- • •■J '. .;..:•,: , from, our lasti)i ; ' - GHAiFT^R -XXXVt! ■' ' ' ' Sotes f rpm a■' Jourriar.'kepi by Clement :-./,/ Austin diirmg.liisi Journey to • '„,.;; ■„. - Wincneste?-; ..■ ( ;u;-. : ■ I v* There's; only one' thing-- strikes me very particular in all you've; told inej' the de-tebtive'-said, by,- when I had grown iired'oi' Watching him, and 1 had suffered my thoughts to wander back to the happy time in which Margaret and I had loved and'' trusted each other ; ' there's only one thing strikes me in all the young lady said to you, and that is these words—* There is contamination in my touch.' Miss Wilrdofr says' to youi 'I am unfitto Be the associate of ah honest man,' Miss Wilmot says to'youi, Now,, that looks as if she had been bought over somehow or other by Mr Dunbar. . I' v.e turned it over in. my mirid eWrf w'ay;:' andf'ho'^'e'ver.r'fycicon it : up; thkt's about what it conies to. "The jbuiig.wbnian was bought over/aiid .she ■was ashamedof-'herSelf for' being bought

€>vey.'l \- . ;.;;;.; :' : ■;.,.... <; I told '• Me .Oartej. that I. .could never brrngmyself : to believe .this,. ... , - " ' Perhaps npj^sir; .but : it may be gospel! truth for'airthat-"' Therms no other way I can( account for ; the: young woman's, carryings 0n... ' .If My. iPunbar . was /innocent, ands: had .contrived, rsoniehow lor other, to convince; . the young-.iwomanh of hisinno cence,. why,. s.he'd-,.h^v.e £ome, ,to ; iypu free and open, and would 1 have said, ' My dear, Fve'^made a mistake about Mr Dunbar, and I'm .very ; sorry for ; it ■; but we- must look somewhere else for my poor pa's murderer ?' But 1 what does the young woman do ? She goes and scrapes herself along the passage wall, and shudders and shivers, and: says. '. I'm a wretch;: don't touch me — -don't come near me,' It's just like a woman ; to' take the bribe, and then be sorry for fM'ving taken it.', I'said 'nothing in answer to this. It was inexpressibly obnoxious to me to hear my poor, Margaret spoken , of as ' a; young woman T . by my business-like companion, B.ut.theve was no \ possibility of keeping* any',' veil over the sacred mysteries of my heart. !, 7 I Ranted Mr Carter's help. For tlie presen^MaVgaret was lost to me ; and my only h6pe of penetrating the hidden eause of her conduct lay in Mr Carter's power tosolve the dark enigma of Joseph WilmotV death.

' Oh, by :; the bye,' exclaimed the detective, —there was a letter,, wasn't there?'

lie held put his hand as I searched for the letter in my pocket book. What a greedy, in qiiisitive looking palmit seemed ! and how I hated Mr Henry Carter at that particular moment ! :

•I g-ave him the ' letter ; and I did not groan al'bud as I handed it to him. He read it : slowly, once, twice,: three times-^-Kalf-a-'dozeri 1 times, I think, in all — pushing l! the fingers'of his left : hand through his hdir as he read, 'and frowning' at the paper"' tbefore'him. It was while he was leading 1 the letter for the last time that I saw .a-suddenj-glimmier of light in his hard ey^and.a, half^smrle playing round his thin',lips. ,:; . , ; : . , :

Well;?' I said, interrogatively, as he gave me back the letter. * :

'Well,' sir, 'the young lady,' — Mr Garter called Margaret I 'a young lady this time, and I could not help thinking that her letter had revealed her to him as something different from the ordinary class of female popularly described. as^a young woman— Hhe young la4X;W^yLs|e^n.est when she wrote' that lett^jS^^fef skiij .' it wasn't wri tten under. . dictratidn,.. .and. she wasn' t bribed to write it. There's heart in. it, sir, if I may be allowed the expression : there's a woman's iiearfc in that letter; iand^when a- worn an ? s heart is 'once allowed scope, a womanus: brains shrivel up like s,o -much tinder. I put this letter to that speech in the corridor at: the Reindeeiy Mr Austin ; and out Of ; those-;two twos 1 very believe I can. make the: queerestofour: that was ever Beckoned up-by afirstr'class detective/

._. A f^int flush, which looked^ like a glow of pleasure, kindled • all. pyer : Mr Garter's sallow face as he spoke, and he got up and walked about the room y not slowly or thoughtfully, but with a brisk eager tread that was new to me. I could see that his spirits had risen a- great many ,d©o r ees since the' reading lof the letter. ',

'You have got some clue/ I said j . 'you see your way^—' i ■'••■• ■ • • '

. He turned round and- checked iny eager curiosity by a warning gesture ipf his uplifted hand.. "• " .\.

; : "'•Don't be in a hurry," sir,'! he, said, gravely ; ' when you 1 lose your way of a darki night,, in a sw'ampycouritr}^ and see a lie:ht , ahead, don't begin . to ; clap iyour hands andi cry hooray till you know what kind of ligh.t it is. It may be. a Jack-o'-lantern ;or J it may be the identical lamp over ;the door of the house yoxi're bound for. You leave this business to me, Mr Austin, and don't you go jumping, at conclusions. I'll work it out quietl}'; and when I've worked it out ; I'll tell you what I think oi it. And now suppose we take a stroll through the cathedral yard, and have a look at the place where the body was found.

'•How shall we find out the exact spot ?' I'. asked,, while I was putting on my .hat and overcoat. . -^. \. ■ ••_••

' ' I<; Any ; passer-by will point/ it.. out/'Mr Carter ■ answered;'- 'they don't have' 'a popular, .murder, in , tHe'- 1 neighborhood of Winchester eveiy day; and when they' do, I make not the least doubt they know; how to appreciate the advantage. You, may depend upon it, 'the place is pretty well known.' • "i* ' :

It was; nearly -five o'clock by; this time. We wentidown the slippery oak staircase,' and- out; into ■ the • quiet strept./ .A bleak wind was; . blowing down 1 from the hills ; and the ..rooks' ne'sts high up .in the branches of the old -trees about the'.cathedral . were rocking- like that legendary cradle in the -tree-top. I had never been in Winchester before, and I was pleased with the quaint old houses, the towering cathedral, the flat meadows, and windingstreams, of. water rippled by the wind. I was soothed, somehow or other, by the peculiar quiet of the scene; and I could not help thinking- that, if a man's life was destined to be miserable, Winchester would be a- nice place for him to be miserable in. A dreamy, drowsy, forgotten city, where the only changes of the slow day would be the varying* chimes of the cathedral ciock, the different tones of the cathedral bells. : ■ ; Mr Carter had studied every scrap of evidence connected with the murder of ; Joseph Wilmot. He pointed out the door at which Henry Dunbar had gone into the cathedral, the pathway which the two men had taken as they went towards the grove. We followed this pathway, and walked to the very place in which the murdered man had been found. A lad who was fishing- in one of the meadows near the grove went with us to show us the exact/spot. It was between an elm and a beech. ' ' ' There's not many beeches in the grove/ the lad said, * and this is the biggest of them. So that it's easy enough for any one to pick out the spot. It was very, dry weather last August at the time of the murder, arid the water wasn't above half as deep as it is now/ .' Is it the same depth every where V Mr Carter asked. 'Oh, dear no,' the boy said; 'that's what makes these streams so dangerous for bathing : they are shallow enough in some places ; but there's all manner of holes about; and unless you are a g-ood swimmer, you'd better not try it on.'

Mr Carter gave the boy sixpence and dismissed him. We strolled a little farther on, and then turned and went back towards the cathedral. My companion was very silent, and I could see that he was still thinking; The change that had taken place in his manner after he had read Margaret's letter had inspired me with new confidence in him, and I was better able to await the working out of events. Little by little the- solemn nature of ' the. business .in which I- was engaged grew and fathered 'force in my miridyand : 1: felt;' tjjiat'l had ' sora'ething- more tp'°do than to I . solve the mystery of Margaret's, conduct to myself:, had to- perform a duty to society, by giviug my uttermost help towards the discovery- of Joseph Wilriiot's murderer.

{ If the heartlessassassin of this wretched man .was. suffered' .to. live and prosper, to hold/up his head, as the master of Maudes--ley Abbey) the chief partner ; in" a great Gity firm that Had borne an honorable name for a ;centur'y and a half/ a kind [of' premium was : offered to crime in high places. If Henry Bunbar had been some miserable starving creature, who, in' a fifc of mad fury against the inequalities of life, had lifted his gaunt arm: to slay, his prosperous brother for the sake : of bread — ■ detectives would have dogged his snea^ingi steps 1 , and . watched his guilty, face, and hovered round, and about him till they tracked him to his doom. But because in' this -.< case the man to whom suspicion: pointed had the supreme virtues comprised in a million of money, Justice wore her thipkest bandage, and the officials who are so clever in tracking a low-born wretch to the gallows, held aloof, and said respectfully, ' Henry Dunbar is too great a man to be guilty of a. diabolical crime.'

■These thoughts filled my mind as I walked back to the George Hotel with Mr Garter.

It was half-past six when we entered the house, and we had kept dinner waiting* half-an-hour, much to the regret of the most courteous of waiters, who expressed intense anxiety about the condition of the fish.—:* .•• ,;<...■=*■ ..'•-::■-::!. .-.-••!

: ; As-'the man Hovered abbut us'^&iji^&r^ I'ex-Jectecl ' every moment that 1 Mr Carter would lead iip to th'eonly topic' whic'h Ka ! d any interest either for. himself or me.' Bui' ,he. was slow to do this ; he talked of the town, the .'last assizes, the state of the; country,- the weather, the prosperity of the] trout fishing season — -everything' except' the- murder of" Jpseph Wilmpti It. was only after dinner, when some petrified specimens of dessert, in the shape of almonds and raisins, .figs and biscuits, had

been arranged on the table, that any serious business- began/ The preliminary skirmishing- had not been without its purpose, however ; for the waiter had been warmed into a communicative and confidential mood, and was now ready to tell us anything he knew.

T deleg-ated all our arrangements to my companion ; and. it was something" wonderful to see Mr Carter lolling* in his arm chair with what he called the c wine cart ' in his hand, deliberating 1 between a fortytwo port, ' light and elegant/ and a fortyfive port, ' tawny and richer bouquet.'

; I think we may as well try number fifteen,' he said, handing- the list of wines to the waiter alter due consideration ; 'and decant it carefully, whatever you do. I hope your cellar isn't cold.'

' Oh, no, sir ; master's very careful of his cellar, sir.'

The waiter went away impressed with the idea that he had to deal with a couple ,of connoiseurs.

* You've got those letters to write before ten o'clock, eh, Mr Austin ?' said the detective, as the waiter re-entered the room with a decanter on a silver salver.

I understood the hint, and accordingly took my travelling desk to a side table near the fire place. Mr Carter handed me one of the was candles, and I sat down before the little table, unlocked my desk, and began -.to write a few lines to my mother; while the detective smacked his lips and knowingly deliberated over his first glass ot port.

' Very decent quality of wine f he said, ' very decent. Do you know where your master got it, eh ? No, you don't. Ah! buttled it himself, I suppose. I thought he might have got. it _ at the WarrenCourt sale the other day, at the other end of the county. Fill a glass for'yourself, waiter, and put the decanter down by the fender ; the wine's rather cold. By the by, I heard your wines very well spoken of the other day, by a person of some importance too, — oi' considerable importance, I may say.'

' Indeed, sir,' murmered the waiter, who was standing at a respectful distance from the table, and was sipping- his wine with deferential slowness.

' Yes, I heard your house spoken of by no less a person than "-Mr. Dunbar, the great banker.' : ' .s: • ■-■■•■ : ' : ' Tilie waiter pricked' up -his ears at this. I pushed ■ aside the -, letter . to my . mother,; and tlien "waited with* : ' . a ., Blank', ,' ' sheet, . of paper before ~w.e. „ i : . .'".'. . ,■....,.,,< ■ ' "That was ayery strange affair, by;the by,' said Mr/' Garter 1 ' 'Fill yourself pnother glass of wine, waiter; my friend

here doesn't drink por t, y and "if _ ; u don't help me topufaway thkV' bottle, 'I shall take too much. Were- you examined at the inquest on Joseph' Wiloaot.

... '.No, sir,' answered the: waiter- eagerly. .'.I were not, sir, and £hey.'d6.;say.;:tasiwe ought every one of us...to..bjayg been r; .examined j . for you see "tKere's . lit'tle -feck's., %& one persbn will notice' 1 , 1 jinci" 'as 'another won't notice, arid it is'ht- a : man's' plabe : ' to come forward with every little trivial- thing you seej sir, but if; {little trivial; things was drawn out of one r anil, another,, they might help; you see, siri'" ' - .''".'. 'There could' be',' no end ' gained by taking notes of this reply, 'sb I a'inus'ed'myself by making' a good' mtP.^to'inyv peh while I waited for something better" wdrtli jotting, down. ■ ; !•..■•;•' .v : ; . oo ' Some- of your people were ' eiaMii4& 1 ,% suppose'?' ••■ '■.-."' y ,''; '> '' ' A ' '." " ""\\. 'Oh, yes, : sir, . aiiswerejl' the , wait'ei*" jr master, he we're examined, to. begin . \vith^ and then Brigmawl,' the head waiter, j^he. give his evidence ; but, lor',, sir, with-ftad unfriendliness to William , Brigmawl^ which me and Brigma'wi have been "fellow; servants these eleven 'yea^aur head waiter, is that wrapped up in hisself, r an(i' his qwtl \ cravats, and shirt-fronts.,' and? jgoid studs^ and Albert chain, that -'he'd. : 'scarcely 'take jno'fice'of'anv earthquake. sValiering iip ri hal^ ;the ! world 'befdriß'hi's eyes, unless* the' muck^ jarid'dirt 'of .thaj; earthquake was to'^ppfl'.hia, |cldtfi.-e'si '; ! Williani'B^i^&kwi-has been teatt; iwaiter ixt'thiis 1 house 1 ; riigli' upon thirty yeai*^ and I 'beyond 1 a "stately \vay of'bano'in'g-to a^' carnage door, or shoeing visitors; to their rooms, ' or pokirig 1 ; a "firC j and ' a"• kind, of ■ knack of leadrag . 6n .'tintiid' -people to pvdptr expensive ! wines, I.r^ally don' t ' see . Bri^T * mawl's great merits : /But ; as to 'Brigmawl,' at an -inquest, he's'ab'qut.as .imuch good '&§ '_ the Pope of Rome/ <. ' ' . . "." k "", ( B ut why was Brig;mawl , examined- int . preference to any one else - - ; „,.■; :.; ' Because he t was supposed to know more of the business than any of tfs,' being. . as it was him that took the '.order for ther dinner. But me and Eliza Jane the un- .' der-chambermaid was in the hall at tbie,' very moment when the two gentlemen: \ came in.' '■'■"[ 'You saw them both, then?' . ' '. f Yes, sir, as plain as I now see you. .r And you might have knocked- me down : with a feather when I was toid that the - one who was murdered- was nothing more: than a valet.' • . • , 'You're not getiing on very fast with your letters,' said Mr Garter, looking* .over ' his shoulder at me. : , ' I had written nothing yet, and I under- l stood this as a hint to begin.- I' wrote down the waiter's last remark, ■ ■-■■■..■> 1 Why were you so surprised to find he ' was a valet?' Mr Carter asked of the ; waiter. ■-■■.■ 1 Because you see, sir, he had the look- ■■ of a gentleman,' the man answered ;■'an/:-out-and-out gentleman. : It wasn't ; that Ee !f held his head higher than Mr Dunbar, or that he was better dressed^— for Mr • Dunbar's clothes looked the. newest and : best j- '- ■ but he had a kind of languid don' t-oareish way that seems to be peculiar to first-class gentleman. . :

'What sort of a looking- man was he ?*".:.! 'Paler than Mr D unbar, and thine r ', built, and fairer.' '

< I jotted down the waiter's remarks ? but I could not help thinking: that this talk about 'the murdered man's manner and; appearance was about as useless as any tUiiig' I ' could be. . . :;...>

'Puler and thinner than Mr Diunbar/ , repeated the detective; -, paler and thinner-: eh? This was one thing- you noticed:; but what was it, now, that you could have . said at the inquest, if you had. been called ■ as a witness V • . ■■'••:•';

* Well, sir, I'll tell you. : It's a small >■ matter, and I've mentioned it niany a time*'both to William Brig-ma wl and to others ; but they talk me down, and sayl ; was ! <' mistaken>; and Eliza Jane, being a -silly ' giggling' hussy, can't bear out:in what I \ say . B at Ido most solemnly declare^ that ; I speak thfr truth, and am not deceived; -- When the. -t\vp gentlemen^w'hich^gentle- -i < men ,<the.y both; jv as to* look : at^^batne' ) ' i into ,our ; hall,- the * one; -that; .■wiaßi-murdtfr'e.d- • : f hadj^his^coaO. buttoned: tight;^across' Mk'' ,ch^t; O e;xic,ept ' one- button;' and thrdlugtt-" 1 ; the space left .by that: 6nenbutfciori;(f -sa\^r : ' ! the glitter ;Ot a-:gold chain;'-; ■'.''■';'■■:: •■<■:>* •- ' 'Well, what, then.' ■:.-. :.; s .: ;;• .••■. <■■': ! :.i;-'.: 'The other gentleman),Mr;Dunbar^ha& i;

I M^ ; ie w fia4 )f;^- gold 5 , chain. 7 '■ Buf two! ;-iriimites.EiW ! lie ; iiad coirie 'in : to ! 'the°Kall,| .-.and while. lie was, ordering': dinner he' tooki \ and tjittonedi'hisicoat., : .Well, sir, when, b,d ' came in, after visiting . .the . c.athedr.a], , hisj coat was partly unbuttoned', and I saw! f that -he ; ;wore ai galji ph"ain i: ;and silunlessl'm!5 i lunlessl'm! that I'dseen peeping r ou.t,ofn the breast qf "tne _murdere(i'tiian. ' 'I "could almost 1 iiave '^wbm'ta that; 'chain because of th'e color 1 b'f 'the gpldv • iwhich ■ was"«, particular ' defep .yajUer;.': .Jit Was only afterwards- that these .things ca,noe .back .to my , mind, and I cerr /.taiiily'th'oua'h't them "very, strange." . ._ ¥ vW ( a^ mere .any thing 6lse f , .y . ""'Wptiiing, "except 'what Brigmawl ,drop : ped Y But onfri^ht at L s u PP e^ spth6 .weeks aft l e9'theinsq : u % esi about his having noticed MrDuxibar opening his desk -while: he was w.aitingvf or Joseph Wil mot, to; come, hfime for dinner, j ( and Brigmawl do. say, now that it ain't a bit of use, that Mr Dunbar,, do : what he would, couldn't find, the key of his own 1 desk for ever so long.'

' ■ ' i He was coiiiused,' I . suppdse ; and' his hands trembled, eh ? ' asked the detective. 1 No,, sir/ according to what Brigmawl s.ajd, Mr {pjunbar, seemed. as,. cool, [and pol-. lected-as'if he-was made of.irpn. , ; But he i^pi;' 'trying 'fjrst 'one .key and 1 then another fb'r' ever s'd' lon gj ''before' ' h'e 'could fin d the

ng>lit onei?::i-ra • .\\:\:\-. ■> ; ;^o;xr ,-•;]!!.: ■ i -./.'" ; -/©i* W, npw?.4hat •Wa^ s^ii'e^.' i . ;'[";•';; if Buijl hdjie you won't ttiffi of what I've' let drop', sir/ said the waiter.' hWtily.^; 'I'm- sure I wouldri!f ; say any-, thing ■d/i4resp ? ectful against Mr/' Diinbar ; ' but yoii : .asked l !.me what I. saw, '. sir, ' ;and : I, have tpld you. candid, and—-' 'My good-ifeUow, you're perfectly' safe in tajWng'.tp me'j'the detectiye 'answered, heariify; '!'f, Suppose you bring us a little strong, tea/ clear away this desert ; andilyou'Ve-: any thing more :to tell us, you can sayr it while you're pouring out the tea. There's. so much cennected with these.sort.pf things that never gets into tljQ papers, that really it's quite interesting to iiear .pf.'em from an eye-witness.'

'. * ,The waiter went, away, pleased and re-, assured, aft^rjclearino; the table very slowly I wag impatient, to hear what Mr Carter had gatKeredirom the man's talk. ■ istesj he said, 'unless I'm very much mistaken*; I think I've got my- friend the master _ot' Maudesley Abbey." '.You doj but how so?' I asked. 1 Thai talk about, the gold chain having changed' hands must be utterly absurd. Wliat should Henry Dunbar want with Joseph WilmptV watch and chain ? ' . , J< .Ah, you>fs right there,' answered Mr Carter. ?' "W^at sb ould Henry Dunbar want ,wjt^ Joseph' Wilmot's . gold chain ? Tnat's: on,e question.. ' W n y should Joseph Wilmot's^idaughter/be so anxious to screen Henry' '.'I)!u-nW- now that she has seen him for ithe,, first time since the murder?. There's another question 'for you. Find the answer for.it, if; you can.' fLt'qld the,,; detective that he seemed bentj upon mystifying me, and that he certainly; succeed^ to his heart's content. Mr/p^rter.lau'g-hed a triumphant little laugli.' f.> :.-.;■: :, .■ ' .. • . . f j^ever you 'miiid, sir,' he said; 'you leave iVto m6.,an'd',y.ou watch it well sir. It'll work' out .fery. neatly, unless I'm altoge^eif wyong.; .".' /Wait for the end,' Mr Augj;m,.an^,.^Vit 'patiently. Dp you know wh^t t.shali do.rto«.morrow ? ' *.'! ha'venft tne faintest idea.' , • *.I shall waste no more time in askingquestions. I shall have the water near the scene of the murder dragged. I shall, try and find the clothes that were stripped 1 off the man who was murdered last August.'.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Clement Austin's Journal Continued

' The rest of the evening passed quietly enough. Mr Carter drank his strong tea, and then asked my permission to go out and. and smoke a; couple of cigars -in the High. .Street; JHe wenty.and' 11.-.finished-myJ§tter : tp my mother.' j There; was -a full modn ; but it was obscured every now and 1 then by the black clouds, that, drifted across^?. 0 ''r/'went'/'bu^'mys^tf'tb'pp^i; the letter,- ' ; ajid^ ! i s was', glad to : l feel I ' 'the" 'cooT breeze the hair 1 away frorn^y ,fpre^ head| T for ; the : excitement of 'the'day'had given'me a netvousheadfiche;.

;•; i fl posted) mjr.l^ttet; in s ja -narrow', street ■near, f he- hotel; ; r As -I tuniediawayrfrom: , the , f ßostr office. .. to^ [ go- ; /back- : ?ta the- High! Streec, r I ;was -Startled iby : the apparition 1 of! ,$ girlish ipgure tipon;the;o.thex' ; side>of the', .street-— a figure. so like' Margaret's': that its : presence in that. . street . filled me with -a ; vague sense ot fear, as if .the slender .figure, i wi^Q' :^ar : m^h^-flxitterin^iti;tn : e"'Win i 'dy liad | been a phantom. - .-...- --*Of course I attributed : this .feeling, to i its right cause,' which was douhtltjssSneither; more nor less than the over excited state < of my, brain. ButrjE was determined to, set the matte* quite at r,est, so I hurried' acro r s&-the'way and' went close up to' the; young- lady, whose face 1 : -was completely hidden by a thick veil. ...... .. ... .;, •■ ( • fjMisss Wilrnpt- — Margaret,' I said. '£ had; thought it impossible that Margare.tjshouldt Win Winchester, and I was only right,, it seemed ; for the young lady drew herself away from'me abruptly and Walked across tihe'ro'adj as if she mistodk ;my error in addressing her for—an intenitional insult., I watched. her as she walked i rapidly along 11 the narrow , street, until she 'turned sharply away at a corner, and. dis--1 appeared: ' When I first /saw [her, as . I stdorl by the, post. office, the mopnligjj ( t; : had -'shone 1 Jfull I ' ' tip'bii* '"her.'_ , 'Jis ' sl|e' ' went ' ! aw^V, !: the ' mdo'n wia^'^hitiae.n' by a neecy ; gray' c(l r ou ! d,, andlth'e^st'reet: was- wrapped in , :sha.y;ow. • 'Thus It? was 1 o"nfy y f6r Kfew ; mo-j Ixif^te v t)xik76 '* 3C 1 Ui^fiiiiicti^* * oirjtlinW " ojF! iheffigure. ; : ;H6r Tfi\d ;ndt s^di^ali^j ! '"* : i' ; We : nt b'ack 3 ','to ifc^iQ; /liotel . and: sat byjttie fire, tryino- /to' read but unable to cliaih my'.tnoug^its'to.the; page.' Mr' : C!arter -came in a little before eleven b'cldck; Ke was in very hig-h' spirits, and drank a tumbler, of steaming, brandy-and-watdr with great gusto. '' But question hiadr.how T- might, 'T could get nottung from him, except' th^at' he meant to have a search niade for the dead man's clothes. . 1 1 asked him why, Jie wanted them, and whac advantage would be gained by the finding of them.; but he only nodded his head significantly, and told me to wait. * . . . ♦ * .■■.*.. * . ;< To-day has been most wretched — a day of miserable discoveries; and yet not altogether miserable, far the one grand discovery of the day has justified my faith in the woman I love. 1 The morning was cold and wet. There, was not a ray of sunshine in the dense gray sky, and the flat landscape beyond the cathedral seemed almost blotted out by the drizzling rain; .only the hills, grand and changeless, towered above the' mists, and made the landmarks of the soddened country. . :: ".-.'".' ■ ' We took an early hasty breakfast. Quiet and business-like as ; tne detective's^ manner was even to-day, I; could see that he was excited. ■■ He took ; nothing but a cup of strong tea and .a fpw moiithfuls of •dry toast, and .then put on his .coat, ;ancl hat.' : ■ . ■ i .-.-., ' I'm going down to the chief quarters of the county constabulary,' he said. ' I shall be obliged to tell the truth about my business dovni there, because I want every facility for what lam going to do. If you'd 'like to see thFwateT dragged, you can meet meat twelve o'clock in the grove. You'll find me superintending die work.' 'It was about half-past eight when Mr Carter left me. The time hung very heavily on my hand between that time and eleven o'clock. At eleven I put on my hat and overcoat, and went , out into the rain.

'I found my friend" the detective standing in one of the smaller entrances of. the cathedral, in very earnest conversation with an old man. As Mr Carter gave me no token of recognition,* I understood'that ■ he did not want me to interrupt his companion's talk, so I walked slowly on by the same pathway along which we had gone on the previous afternoon ; the "same pathway by which the murdered man' had gone to his 'death. ■ . " ' J had not walked half a njileibefore I was joined by the detective;. ■.....■ \ ( I gave you. the office ■just now,' he said, -because I thought it you; ''sp'o'ke;' i6[ me. 'that old chap Iwould' lea v'e I ' off : talkwig', arict i I mightmisSic-jS'omefehing-.'.that-wasf-onfr.the' tip| of his^.tong^e.;-! ;>i ■, . ..^ aai [^ r „,. K ,.j I' Did lie tell you much V „';.,-;.,, „ : < . ( . I'Nb) ' Ke's'tlie'' ma'n/ whb" J gave,..liis ejvidence at the inquest. V He ; gave me ' a miriute 1 description of Henry; Duiibar's watch and chain. The watch did'jat open, 'quite in the usual mariner, and : the

g-'eiitlemaiiiwas 1 rather- aiwkward in openingit, my • friend' the •verg-er : . tells, me: ' He ■was awkward with the key of His : desk. He seems tohave[ had a' fit of awkwardness that day/ • ' '. V ' You' think therefore that he r was g-uilty, and that 'he was confused and' agi^tated by the hideous business he had been concerned in ?'; • . ; V ' 'Mr. Carter looked at me, with a queer smile on his face. : ' f ■''■ ;

' You're improving*, Mr. Austin^ 'he said ,• ' { . you'd make a first-class detective in next, to no time.' ; ' -; . :

';■• 'I felt; rather doubtfnl . as to ; the lex* act meaning' of this compliment,; for there was .: something: ivery like irony •< in -'Mr; Garter's tone." ■•■' . ■'; • : -.'.'■. ' '•

'I'll tell ' you what I think,* . he said, stopping 1 • and taking 1 ' me by the 1 button-hole. 'I think that I know why. tlie murdered man's coast, waistcoat, and' shirt wer^ stripjje& off him.' '

'I, begged the detective to tell me'wiiatr. he thought on this subject, but lie' refusedto db so. ' . ; ■ . .

' Wait and see,' he said ; 'if I'm right? you'll soon find out what I mean; if; I'm i wrong ? , I'll .keep my r thoughts . to myself. I'm an old hand, 'arid ( l'do.'nt .yvant .tp "(bet found, put. in a' mistake,.'; ';. i '„;'• ... •■{ ... : [}. Lsaid no. more after; fchis. [The disap^ ipearance of \ the murdered; .man's ;■. clothes jhafl aiw,ays,a,ppeare;d;tp m'Pithe only; iirerjco|iciieable; pirQu-mstance uWiitli , the idea -of !Heni*y Dunbar's g'uilt.> ..Tb^t.some brutal; wretch, wlp ; atained- his soul with b r lpod for the sake of his yic.tini's ' poor' ' possessions, 'should' sfrip off the , ciothes of the dead, and make a market even out of them, was probable enough.' But' .that: Henry, . , I) unbar, the : wealthy, ■ hyper-, ' refinejd Anglo-Indian, ; should linger: , ibVer/ the, body pf his valet, and offer; needless, profanation to the. dead, was something 1 ! incredible, and not to be accounted for by any theory whatever. ; „,.:-- -.' This was the one point whicli, from first to last, had most completely; b;affied me. .

'We found the man with the drag's waiting for us under the dripping : trees. Mr. Carter had revealed himself, to the. constabulary as one of the chief luminaries of Scotland Yard ; and if he had • wanted to dig 1 up the foundations of the cathedral, they would scarcely have ventured* to ■■ interfere with his 'design; One' of the Gonstable's was lounging* by the water's edge, watching- the men as they prepared -for business. . ...

'T have no need to write '.a minute record of that miserable day. I know that I walkediip and down,, up and, down, backwards and forwards, upon the ' sod-, dened grass, from noon till sundown, always thinking' that I would go away presently, always, lingering, a litfcj'e longer; hindered by the fancy that Mr. Carter's seai'ch was on the point of being- " successful. I know that. for hour- after hour the grating sound of the iron drags grinding on the gravelly bed of the-streain sounded iri, my tired ears, and yet there was no rejsult. ' I know that rusty scraps of wornout hardware, dead bodies of cats and dogs, old shoes laden with pebbles:; rank entanglements of vegetable corruption, and all manner of likely and unlikely rubbish were dragged out of the stream, and thrown aside upon the bank.- ;; : ' : '•"■' ( The detective grew dirtier' and slimier arid wetter as the day wore on, but still he' did not lose heart. .-:.:.

'I'll have every inch of the bed of the stream^ and every hidden hole in the bottom, dragged; ten -times over, before I'll give it up, ■ he said to me, when he came to me at ' dusk with some brandy that had been broug-bt by a boy who had been fetching beer, -more or less, all the afternoon. .

< When it grew darkj' ' the men lighted' a couple of flaring resinous torches, which Mr. Carter had sent for towards dusk, and worked by the patches of fitful light which these torches threw upon the water. I still > walked up and do wn under the drip -■ ping jtreesyinhthe darkness, as I had walked ; in ;thie ilig-ht ; and once 'when I' was- farthest fro in: the Ted g-lare'os th^ 'torches, a-straß^e-fancy- took possession of me.- : Jn" airioirgsiiithe dim • branches ■'df 1 -- the ti'des 1 If thought I saw something moving^ somev thing that reminded me , of. the figure I had seen opposite r/ the post-office on the

previous evening 1 ., .'.'.'- .... • Hi f I/ran in ambrigst the trees j arid; .as' I did so',' the figure 'seemed to nie to. receed, and disappear j a faint rustlingof a wo :

man's dress sounded in oriseeme'di so to J sound; as the fig-ure melted from my sight. But again~rTiad good reason to» attribute these. fancies' t6 the state I ' 6JP my own brain, after that long day of, anxiety and suspense. „, i '<•<"... ' ' 'At last, wh_en_._i : _ was completely worn out by my weary day, Mr. Qartercame to me. ' „, - ; • 'They're found !' he cried: . We've'-'found 'era! We've found' the miirde'red pan?s .clothes !. They've ! been"drifte : d away ii>"toone of the deepest holes there is, and > .the rats have been- gnawing.,. r ;at\,'em...<"[ But,, please Providence, we shall' find. Vnat wewant. I'm not much of ' a church-goer,, but Ido believe tTiere'-s- a. Providence that lies in wait for wicked; men> j and <s catches the very cleverest, of th&m.whenlthfiy-teast expect it.' .'. / ■>. \ „,;■ ■■-i'.* •:■ '•■ I i ' E had never seen Mr. 'Carter so :i rnud&i excited :as He seemed n&w: ■[' His' 1 Me wjas , flushed, and his" : nostrils qurv&ieii nervousty. ".«.:■' jv? ' :• f; A 4 1 followed him totKespol; wHere't tliiconstable and two : men', who had; bee^rt. dragging 1 .the scream, -were? 'gathere'd round a .bundle of wet rubbisUlyingon th# :grp^und.| j. ••;.:;■•.:> :- : ■-.'■. \\- ■■'■■.;[■■>■■ A:vi t -'. Mr; i Garter knelt?: down 1 :befdre i; this?bundle, iwhich was: covered^ with-trfiiliifg 3weee[s and moss arid-' :slimej and the- con'^ sta.blfe stooped over him' with^a 1 'flamiii^ tojecli^in-hishand,;::' ; v.^'iv-j-i ;n ; •:;; ;■■:: u.,d \- :.<f /These- are r 'some'hody'ff' cloiM;, '' J s'ura;> enoug^h^ > the 'd'etfectdye^skid,' ' ; and; ilnl6jss;. I'm very m-uch mistaken 1 We'j^'rj the '-v|ry! things .1 want. : -- : Hsis '■ ''aniv- : Wody ' ; afot ' % '■ baskets ■ ■:■ .'= ':■;-;•:- ;^^- >!ii( l .■''Yes.,.' The^bbywhd'^fetck^^e^ had a bhsket. 1 ' Mr: Gartey habi:s^uflfejitfi!e] slimy bundle 1 into .this basket, and put'HiSr arm ; throug-h i!he handle. 1 : „7 , ■ „ ' ] I ,V. fi ■ _*'You are' hot 'a-going ; .t6-: look „the,Da;;: ; over here . then V' . enquired 'ttheVilociai/ functionary, with em, air of inuch disap.'-i poiritment. . . ,'■■;/ ' No,. I'll take them* straight; to my t hotel^i I shall have pbnty of light therej : . !You> . can come with me, if you like,: Mr* TCarter.-: answered. . ..,,.. 'He paid the men,; who hftdf been dfr work all day, and paid them-; jiberally,- ,1 : suppose, for , they seemed yeiy. ; well satis.-. ■ fied. I had given him money for any j ex-. : penses such ■ as these • for I knew" well:: ■ that, in a case. of this r kind)- every i-in-i ■ significant step, ..entailed the expenditure^ of'money.:- .!... ■ ' ■ .;!;*; -. ( We walked homewards as' rapidly avthe miserable state of the path,, the increasing darkness, and the- falling |raia 'would allow, us' ; to walk. \ The cqn3taj)L& walked 5 with ' us: ' \ .Mr. ! ; Carter . whistled: .. softly to liimself as he walked along^ witii' ' the basket on one arm. .The slimy green s stuff and the muddy' water dripped- freely from the bottom of the basket as he carriedit. ..•>.. ■■ . , . -„ /:/_ '„, -,: •■ 1 1 was still at a loss to! understand! the ' I reason of his high spirits; 'I was: still at a loss to comprehend why he attached so .. much importa'nce'to; tlie finding of the dead ! V man's' clothes. '<" ■ ; " x "■■' ■'•■-'•. ; ••' ; " ; -- ; * llt was past .eight o'clock when ,- [we ". ; > three men— tlie detective, the •Winchester: . cbristabie, anrf myself-^entered -our,' sitting-,', r'poin at the'Geqrge Hotel j; The principal^ table was laid for dinner,, and tlie waiter, \ our friend of the, previous t eyeningr^ was 'hovering about, eager 'to''.' receive : us. : But.Mr. Carter sent the waiter, about his- •-..' business.. ' ' „ ■• ,u r.'. ; . • .'. , . ... , 'Tye got a. little matter to settle- -withi^'-' this gentleman here,' he- said^ , indicating • the Winchester constable with a baokward ; jerk of his thumb ; 'I'll ring, when I waiite dinner.? : : .■.-•' , -rM'A' {:-<•■ :-.

'I saw the waiter's eyes open.. to an ab;« normal extent as he lpoke.d at the constarv' ble, and I saw a sudden bia.uk f ; sion creep over his face as hfiretiTed.slowly';.?j from the room. ' "' • '_"'-. „, t ' R ' -:.-, ft ; , 'Now,' said . Mrj Carter^ '■> we'll examine the bundle. 7 ■ -; ' ; ' : ' I ! j ';p • 'He. pushed away the dinner- tajile,. and,, ''-'. iqli'ew forward a smaller 'taßle> ti».\ ! fan out of the robm, and--rVturnl^(tm i |atiGiii.);,.',.' : mihutes ' carrying; -with, rhim^ail^vt^f 'towels'he had beW able; .'to' fihd ( in j*my ( „' room.' and in nis ' o.\vn> • wMcHi^vvrere .close.at. ■ hand/ He 1 then spread out the. tov?els^, pa' \ the table, and then took" the- slimy bupdfefrom!the basket.. '" • ' :..' .-'.\ t 1J ';; ! '/*'', '.' • ' -, -■■•;■■ '■ ■■'A-liW:'- 1 . • ' Jiilii il'ii.il'JU SiJ i V.b. . ".,. r .... „.f ; .; ,;. t .._ ,;, f „„^ ... .7 : r 'Tole coiiiihiietk. "' '' " "' *