The pale face of Eugene Aram brightened.  He had resolved, had Houseman’s attitude been different, to surrender Madeline at once.

V.—­Human Bones

The unexpected change in her lover’s demeanour, on his return to Grassdale, brought unspeakable joy to the heart of Madeline Lester.  But hardly had Aram left Houseman’s squalid haunt in Lambeth when a letter was put into the ruffian’s hand telling of his daughter’s serious illness.  For this daughter Houseman, villain as he was, would willingly have given his life.  Now, casting all other thoughts aside, he set forth, not for France, but for Knaresborough, where his daughter was lying, and whither, guided by his inquiries concerning his father, Walter Lester was also on his way.

It was not long ere Walter found that a certain Colonel Elmore had died in 17—­, leaving L1,000 and a house to one Daniel Clarke, and that an executor of the colonel’s will survived in the person of a Mr. Jonas Elmore.  From Mr. Elmore, Walter learned that Clarke had disappeared suddenly, after receiving the legacy, taking with him a number of jewels with which Mr. Elmore had entrusted him.  His disappearance had caused a sensation at the time, and a man named Houseman had assigned as a cause of Clarke’s disappearance a loan which he did not mean to repay.  It was true that Houseman and a young scholar named Eugene Aram had been interrogated by the authorities, but nothing could be proved against them, and certainly nothing was suspected where Aram was concerned.  He left Knaresborough soon after Clarke had disappeared, having received a legacy from a relative at York.

This story of a legacy Walter was not inclined to believe, but proof of it was forthcoming.  Another circumstance in Aram’s favour was that his memory was still honoured in the town, by the curate, Mr. Summers, as well as by others.

Accompanied by Mr. Summers, Walter visited the house where Daniel Clarke had stayed and also the woman at whose house Aram had lived.  It was a lonely, desolate-looking house; its solitary occupant a woman who evidently had been drinking.  When the name of Eugene Aram was mentioned, the woman assumed a mysterious air, and eventually disclosed the fact that she had seen Mr. Clarke, Houseman and Aram enter Aram’s room early one morning.  They went away together.  A little later Aram and Houseman returned.  She found out afterwards that they had been burning some clothes.  She also discovered a handkerchief belonging to Houseman with blood upon it.  She had shown this to Houseman, who had threatened to shoot her should she say a word to anyone regarding himself or his companions.

Armed with this narrative, extracted by the promise of pecuniary reward, Walter and Mr. Summers were making their way to a magistrate’s when their attention was attracted by a crowd.  A workman, digging for limestone, had unearthed a big wooden chest.  The chest contained a skeleton!