called in. A fine-grown young fellow of nineteen, whose
temperament may be indicated by two words--cool and lazy. He was desired
to give his own explanation.

"I was going home for the night, sir," he began, in answer, "when I
heard the sound of voices in dispute. They seemed to come from the
direction of the grove of trees near the Willow Pond, and I stayed to
listen. I thought perhaps some of the Dawsons and Roy had come to an
encounter out there; but I soon found that one of the voices was that of
a woman. Quite a young voice it sounded, and it was broke by sobs and
tears. The other voice was a man's."

"Only two! Did you recognise them?"

"No, sir, I did not recognise them; I was too far off, maybe. I only
made out that it was two--a man's and a woman's. I stopped a few
minutes, listening, and they seemed to quiet down, and then, as I was
going on again, I came up to Mrs. Roy. She was kneeling down, and--"

"Kneeling down?" interrupted Mr. Verner.

"She was kneeling down, sir, with her hands clasped round the trunk of a
tree, like one in mortal fright. She laid hold of me then, and I asked
what was the matter with her, and she answered that she had been a'most
frightened to death. I asked whether it was at the quarrel, but she only
said, 'Hush! listen!' and at last she set on to cry. Just then we heard
an awful shriek, and a plunge into the water. 'There goes something into
the Willow Pond,' said I, and I was turning to run to it, when Mrs. Roy
shrieked out louder than the other shriek had been, and fell flat down
on the earth. I never hardly see such a face afore for ghastliness. The
moon was shining out full then, and it daunted me to look at her. I
thought she was dead--that the fright had killed her. There wasn't a bit
o' breath in her body, and I raised her head up, not knowing what to do
with her. Presently she heaved a sort of sigh, and opened her eyes; and
with that she seemed to recollect herself, and asked what was in the
pond. I left her and went off to it, meeting Dan Duff--and we found it
was Rachel Frost. Dan, he set on to howl, and wouldn't stay, and I went
for the nearest help, and got her out. That's all, sir."

"Was she already dead?"

"Well, sir, when you first get a person out of the water it's hard to
say whether they be dead or not. She seemed dead, but perhaps if there
had been means right at hand, she might have been brought-to again."

A moan of pain from old Matthew. Mr. Verner cont