rade, not looking for nothing, when he saw some'at dark among the
reeds, and told the harvesters when they come by. They said it was a man,
got him out, and then found it was his lordship.

There was only one peculiarity about the boy's evidence--his manner.
All he said was feasible enough; indeed, what would be most likely to
happen under the circumstances. But whence arose his terror? Had he been
of a timid temperament, it might have been natural; but the miller had
spoken the truth--he was audacious and hardy. Only upon one or two,
however, did the manner leave any impression. Pike, who made one of the
crowd in the inquest-room, was one of these. His experience of human
nature was tolerably keen, and he felt sure the boy was keeping something
behind that he did not dare to tell. The coroner and jury were not so
clear-sighted, and dismissed him with the remark that he was a "little
fool."

"Call George Gorton," said the coroner, looking at his notes.

Very much to Lord Hartledon's surprise--perhaps somewhat to his
annoyance--the man answering to this name was the one who had originally
come to Calne on a special mission to himself. Some feeling caused him to
turn from the man whilst he gave his evidence, a thing easily done in the
crowded room.

It appeared that amidst the stirring excitement in the neighbourhood on
the Tuesday night when the death became known, this stranger happened to
avow in the public-house which he made his quarters that he had seen Lord
Hartledon in his skiff just before the event must have happened. The
information was reported, and the man received a summons to appear before
the coroner.

And it may be as well to remark now, that his second appearance was owing
to a little cowardice on his own part. He had felt perfectly satisfied at
the time with the promise given him by Lord Hartledon to see the debt
paid--given also in the presence of the Rector--and took his departure in
the train, just as Pike had subsequently told Mr. Elster. But ere he had
gone two stages on his journey, he began to think he might have been too
precipitate, and to ask himself whether his employers would not tell him
so when he appeared before them, unbacked by any guarantee from Lord
Hartledon; for this, by a strange oversight, he had omitted to ask for.
He halted at once, and went back by the next return train. The following
day, Tuesday, he spent looking after Lord Hartledon, but, as it happened,
did not meet hi