"I can scarcely believe it; it seems so incredible," sighed poor Mrs. Cramp, to the Squire, who had come bustling in. "Juliet, as I should have thought, was one of the very last girls to do such a thing." The next to appear upon the scene, puffing and panting with agitation, was Fred Scott. He asked which of the two girls it was, having heard only a garbled account; and now learned that it was Juliet. As to Cherry Dawson, she was shut up in her bedroom in shrieking hysterics. Men were preparing to drag the pond in search of----well, what was lying there. The pond was at the end of the garden, near the fence that divided it from the three-acre field. Nothing had been disturbed. The white frock and pink ribbons were lying with the paper pinned to them; the hat was close by. A yard off was the white woollen handkerchief; and near it I saw the faded bunch of mignonette which Juliet had worn in her waistband. It looked as if she had flung the things off in desperation. Standing later in the large parlour, listening to comments and opinions, one question troubled me--Ought I to tell what I knew of the quarrel? It might look like treachery towards Scott and the girl upstairs; but, should that poor dead Juliet---- The doubt was suddenly solved for me. "What I want to get at is this," urged the Squire: "did anything happen to drive her to this? One doesn't throw oneself into an eel-pond for nothing in one's sober senses." "Miss Juliet and Miss Dawson had a quarrel out o' doors last night," struck in Joan, for the two servants were assisting at the conference. "Sally heard 'em." "What's that?" cried Mrs. Cramp. "Speak up." "Well, it's true, ma'am," said Sally, coming forward. "I went out to shake a tray-cloth, and heard voices at a distance, all in a rage like; so I just stepped on a bit to see what it meant. The two young lasses was snarling at one another like anything. Miss Juliet was----" "What were they quarrelling about?" interrupted the Squire. "Well, sir, it seemed to be about Mr. Scott--which of 'em had him for a sweetheart, and which of 'em hadn't. Mr. Johnny Ludlow ran up as I came in: perhaps he heard more than I did." After that, there was nothing for it but to let the past scene come out; and Mrs. Cramp had the pleasure of being enlightened as to the rivalry which had been going on under her roof and the ill-feeling which had arisen out of it. Fred Scott, to do him justice, spoke up like a man, not denying the flirtation he had carried on, first with Juliet, next with Cherry, but he declared most positively that it had never been serious on any side. The Squire wheeled round. "Just say what you mean by that, Mr. Frederick. What do you call serious?" "I never said a word to either of them which could suggest serious intentions, sir. I never hinted at such a thing as getting married."