ceal the fact and the crime.

The waters had brought it down, and deposited it there in the middle of
the river, without any human creature being acquainted with the fact.

But the moon rises--the beams come trembling through the tree tops and
straggling branches, and fall upon the opposite bank, and there lies the
body, mid stream, and in comparative darkness.

By the time the river is lit up by the moon's rays, then the object on
the stones will be visible, then it can be ascertained what appears now
only probable, namely, is the dark object a human form or not?

In the absence of light it appears to be so, but when the flood of
silver light falls upon it, it would be placed then beyond a doubt.

The time is approaching--the moon each moment approaches her meridian,
and each moment do the rays increase in number and in strength, while
the shadows shorten.

The opposite bank each moment becomes more and more distinct, and the
side of the stream, the green rushes and sedges, all by degrees come
full into view.

Now and then a fish leaps out of the stream, and just exhibits itself,
as much as to say, "There are things living in the stream, and I am one
of them."

The moment is one of awe--the presence of that mysterious and
dreadful-looking object, even while its identity remains doubt, chills
the heart--it contracts the expanding thoughts to that one object--all
interest in the scene lies centered in that one point.

What could it be? What else but a human body? What else could assume
such a form? But see, nearly half the stream is lit by the moonbeams
struggling through the tree tops, and now rising above them. The light
increases, and the shadows shorten.

The edge of the bed of stones now becomes lit up by the moonlight; the
rippling stream, the bubbles, and the tiny spray that was caused by the
rush of water against the stones, seemed like sparkling flashes of
silver fire.

Then came the moonbeams upon the body, for it was raised above the level
of the water, and shewed conspicuously; for the moonbeams reached the
body before they fell on the surrounding water; for that reason then it
was the body presented a strange and ghastly object against a deep, dark
background, by which it was surrounded.

But this did not last long--the water in another minute was lit up by
the moon's pale beams, and then indeed could be plainly enough seen the
body of a man lying on the heap of stones motionless and ghastly.