“Extraordinary!” exclaimed Mr. Cory. “Why, it would have saved months of work and suspense for us. But--I am afraid it reveals only too truly what has been the fate of poor Hilton! He had penetrated the secrets of the villains, and felt that his life was not safe. They must in their turn have suspected him, and Stavanger and Cochrane had deemed it necessary to their safety to remove him. Oh, the scoundrels! But the poor lad shall be amply avenged!” Annie, too, was excited and indignant. So was Miss Margaret. But they forbore all interruptions, and Mr. Jenkins concluded his narrative in his own way. “But little remains to be added,” he said. “This Mr. Stavanger seems to be an odd mixture of bigotry, hypocrisy, and blind devotion to his disreputable son. He talks quite jubilantly about the opportune deaths of Mr. Edward Lyon, and of a man by whom he himself was being blackmailed because of the fellow’s knowledge of Hugh Stavanger’s guilt. Then his ravings are to the effect that Harley Riddell must have really done something to make himself accused of God, since Providence is visibly fighting against him. He also seems to be aware of many of your abortive attempts to entrap his son, and the poor soul triumphs over you in his delirium. Here is the last of his speeches that have been reported to me. ‘Yes, you may search the world over, but you will not discover Hugh. He is only the chosen instrument of Providence, used to bring his deserts to a villain who has committed some great and undiscovered crime. That villain’s brother’s would have betrayed Hugh, and what became of him--Bah! Neither he nor you can prove aught against my son--unless the sea gives up its dead!’” CHAPTER XXIII. and Last. JUBILATE.