uth Earl of Hartledon. By one of those
unexpected calamities, which are often inexplicable--and which most
certainly was so as yet in the present instance--a promising young life
had been snapped asunder, and another reigned in his place. In one short
hour Val Elster, who had scarcely cross or coin to call his own, had been
going in danger of arrest from one moment to another, had become a peer
of the realm and a man of wealth.

As they laid the body down in a small room opening from the hall, and his
late companions and guests crowded around in awe-struck silence, there
was one amidst them who could not control his grief and emotion. It was
poor Val. Pushing aside the others, never heeding them in his bitter
sorrow, he burst into passionate sobs as he leaned over the corpse. And
none of them thought the worse of Val for it.

"Oh, Percival! how did it happen?"

The speaker was Dr. Ashton. Little less affected himself, he clasped the
young man's hand in token of heartfelt sympathy.

"I cannot think _how_ it could have happened," replied Percival, when
able to control his feelings sufficiently to speak. "It seems awfully
strange to me--mysteriously so."

"If he found himself going wrong, why didn't he shout out?" asked young
Carteret, with a rueful face. "I couldn't have helped hearing him."

It was a question that was passing through the minds of all; was being
whispered about. How could it have happened? The body presented the usual
appearance of death from drowning; but close to the left temple was a
wound, and the face was otherwise disfigured. It must have been done,
they thought, by coming into contact with something or other in the
water; perhaps the skiff itself. Arm and ankle were both much swollen.

Nothing was certainly known as yet of Lord Hartledon from the time Mr.
Carteret parted company with him, to the time when the body was found. It
appeared that these Irish labourers were going home from their work,
singing as they went, their road lying past the mill, when they were
spoken to by the miller's boy. He stood on the species of estrade which
the miller had placed there for his own convenience, bending down as far
as his young head and shoulders could reach, and peering into the water
attentively. "I think I see some'at in the stream," quoth he, and the men
stopped; and after a short time, proceeded to search. It proved to be the
dead body of Lord Hartledon, caught amongst the reeds.

It was rather