By this time the matter had begun to get bruited about in the town, and
of course it went from mouth to mouth with many exaggerations; and
although it by no means did follow that a murder had been committed
because a dead body had been found, yet, such was the universal
impression; and the matter began to be talked about as the murder in the
subterranean passage leading to Anderbury House, with all the gusto
which the full particulars of some deed of blood was calculated to
inspire. And how it spread about was thus:--

The fact was, that Mr. Leek was so anxious to let Anderbury-on-the-Mount
to the rich Baron Stolmuyer, of Saltzburgh, that he got a friend of his
to come and personate Sir John Westlake, while he, the baron, was
looking at the premises, in order to drive him at once to a conclusion
upon the matter; so that what made Sir John so very anxious that he
should not be called forward in the matter, consisted in the simple fact
that he was nothing else than plain Mr. Brown, who kept a hatter's shop
in the town; but he could not keep his own counsel, and, instead of
holding his tongue, as he ought to have done, about the matter, he told
it to every one he met, so that in a short time it was generally known
that something serious and startling had occurred in the subterranean
passage to Anderbury House, and a great mob of persons thronged the
beach in anxious expectation of getting more information on the matter. The men, likewise, who had been ordered by the coroner to remove the
body, soon reached the spot, and they gave an increased impetus to the
proceedings, by opening the door of the subterranean passage, and then
looking earnestly along the beach as if in expectation of something or
somebody of importance. When eagerly questioned by the mob, for the throng of persons now
assembled quite amounted to a mob, to know what they waited for, one of
them said,--

"A coffin was to have been brought down to take the body in." This announcement at once removed anything doubtful that might be in the
minds of any of them upon the subject, and at once proclaimed the fact
not only that there was a dead body, but that if they looked out they
would see it forthwith. The throng thickened, and by the time two men were observed approaching
with a coffin on their shoulders, there was scarcely anybody left in the
town, except a few rare persons, indeed, who were not so curious as
their neighbours. It was not an agreeable job, even to those men who were not the most
particular in the world, to be removing so loathsome a spectacle as that
which they were pretty sure to encounter in the ice-well; but they did
not shrink from it, and, by setting about it as a duty, they got through
it tolerably well. They took with them several large torches, and then, one having
descended into the pit, fastened a rope under the arms of the dead man,
and so he was hauled out, and placed in the shell that was ready to
receive him. They were all surprised at the fresh and almost healthful appearance of
the countenance, and it was quite evident to everybody that if any one
had known him in life, they could not have the least possible difficulty
in recognising him now that he was no more. And the only appearance of injury which he exhibited was in that
dreadful wound which had certainly proved his death, and which was
observable in his throat the moment they looked upon him. [Illustration]

The crush to obtain a sight of the body was tremendous at the moment it
was brought out, and a vast concourse of persons followed it in
procession to the town, where the greatest excitement prevailed. It was
easily discovered that no known person was missing, and some who had
caught a sight of the body, went so far as to assert that it must have
been in the ice-well for years, and that the extreme cold had preserved
it in all its original freshness. The news, of course, came round, although not through the baron, for he
did not condescend to say one word about it at the inn, and it was the
landlord who first started the suggestion of--"What suppose it is the
gentleman who left his horse here?" This idea had no sooner got possession of his brain, than it each moment
seemed to him to assume a more reasonable and tangible form, and without
saying any more to any one else about it, he at once started off to
where the body lay awaiting an inquest, to see if his suspicions were
correct. When he arrived at the public-house and asked to see the body, he was at
once permitted to do so; for the landlord knew him, and was as curious
as he could be upon the subject by any possibility. One glance, of
course, was sufficient, and the landlord at once said,--

"Yes, I have seen him before, though I don't know his name. He came to
my house last night, and left his horse there; and, although I only saw
him for a moment as he passed through the hall, I am certain I am not
mistaken. I dare say all my waiters will recognise him, as well as the
Baron Stolmuyer of Saltzburgh, who is staying with me, and who no doubt
knows very well who he is, for he went out with him late and came home
alone, and I ordered one of my men to wait up all night in order to let
in this very person who is now lying dead before us." "The deuce you did! But you don't suppose the baron murdered him, do
you?" "It's a mystery to me altogether--quite a profound mystery. It's very
unlikely, certainly; and what's the most extraordinary part of the whole
affair is, how the deuce could he come into one of the ice-wells
belonging to Anderbury House. That's what puzzles me altogether." "Well, it will all come out, I hope, at the inquest, which is to be held
at four o'clock to day. There must have been foul play somewhere, but
the mystery is where, and that Heaven only knows, perhaps." "I shall attend," said the landlord, "of course, to identify him; and I
suppose, unless anybody claims the horse, I may as well keep possession
of it." "Don't you flatter yourself that you will get the horse out of the
transaction. Don't you know quite well that the government takes
possession of everything as don't belong to nobody?" "Yes; but I have got him, and possession, you know, is nine points of
the law." "It may be so; but their tenth point will get the better of you for all
that. You take my word for it, the horse will be claimed of you; but I
don't mind, as an old acquaintance, putting you up to a dodge." "In what way?" "Why, I'll tell you what happened with a friend of mine; but don't think
it was me for if it was I would tell you at once, so don't think it. He
kept a country public-house; and, one day, an elderly gentleman came in,
and appeared to be unwell. He just uttered a word or two, and then
dropped down dead. He happened to have in his fob a gold repeater, that
was worth, at least a hundred guineas, and my friend, before anybody
came, took it out, and popped in, in its stead, an old watch that he
had, which was not worth a couple of pounds." "It was running a risk."