Where did you find it?"
"Well, it's very odd, my lord, but I found it buried."
"Buried!"
"Buried in the ground, not far from the river, alongside the path that
leads from where his lordship was found to Hartledon. I was getting up
some dandelion roots for my wife this morning early, and dug up this
close to one. There's where the knife touched it. My lord," added the
miller, "I beg to say that I have not opened it. I wiped it, wrapped it
in paper, and said nothing to anybody, but came here with it as soon as
I thought you'd be up. That lad of mine, Ripper, said last night you were
at Hartledon."
The miller was quite honest; and Lord Hartledon knew that when he said
he had not opened it, he had not done so. It still contained some
small memoranda in his brother's writing, but no money; and this was
noticeable, since it was quite certain to have had money in it on that
day.
"Those who buried it might have taken it out," he observed, following the
bent of his thoughts.
"But who did bury it; and where did they find it, to allow of their
burying it?" questioned the miller. "How did they come by it?--that's the
odd thing. I am certain it was not in the skiff, for I searched that over
myself."
Lord Hartledon said little. He could not understand it; and the incident,
with the slips of paper, was bringing his brother all too palpably before
him.
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