As the young gentleman paced up and down, his mind labouring with the new reminiscence which had arisen within, it suddenly struck him that there were means of informing himself of all and every detail of that murder, whereof he at present entertained only a vague and general impression of its atrocity. His long absence on the continent had prevented him from ever, even accidentally, falling in with an English book of criminal annals, or a file of English newspapers, to which he might have referred, had the thought struck him so to do. But now what was to restrain him from making those searches which would throw every light on an occurrence of such fearful interest? Scarcely was this idea conceived, when the means of instantaneously carrying it into execution suggested itself. For Charles Hatfield remembered that in the well-stored library of the mansion he had observed a complete set of the _Annual Register_, from the very origin of that useful work until the most recent date of its publication! And now he trembled from head to foot--he literally gasped for breath, at the thought of being enabled to tear away the veil of mystery from at least one incident which was so materially connected with his childhood: for Tamar had been as a mother to him during the few months that he was in her care! There was in his soul a deep and yet undefined presentiment that he stood on the threshold of strange discoveries--that important revelations were about to be made to him;--and, without being superstitious, he bent to the influence of this solemn but dim forecasting--this awe-inspiring but vague prescience. Taking the lamp in his hand, he stole gently from his chamber--descended the wide and handsome staircase--traversed a long corridor, in the niches of which stood beautiful specimens of sculpture--and entered the spacious library. On each side of the door was a marble statue as large as life; and the young man started--but only for a moment--as the white and motionless effigies stood out suddenly as if it were from the deep darkness which the lamp illumined. It was not that he had forgotten such statues were there--nor that he was positively frightened at their appearance:--but his soul was influenced by one of those presentiments which are of themselves superstitions in character--and moreover he was on the point of seeking information relative to the details of a foul and horrible murder. Instantly recovering himself, and blushing at his fears, he advanced into the library, closing the door carefully behind him: then, approaching a particular range of shelves, he reached down the _Annual Register_ for the year 1827. In less than a minute he was seated at the table, with the book opened at the proper place before him;--and greedily--Oh! how greedily he plunged as it were into its contents. But--great heavens!--why starts he thus? What discovery has he made?--what revelation has been afforded him?