Evenwiththesmallamountofinformationobtainedbythesearchamonghispapersandeffects，thegossipsofthevillagehadconstructedseveraldistincthistoriesforthemysteriousstranger。
Hewasanagentofagreatpublishinghouse；aleadingcontributortoseveralimportantperiodicals；theauthorofthatanonymouslypublishednovelwhichhadmadesomuchtalk；thepoetofalargeclothingestablishment；aspyoftheItalian，somesaidtheRussian，somesaidtheBritish，Government；aproscribedrefugeefromsomecountrywherehehadbeenplotting；aschool-masterwithoutaschool，aministerwithoutapulpit，anactorwithoutanengagement；inshort，therewasnoendtotheperfectlysenselessstoriesthatweretoldabouthim，fromthatwhichmadehimoutanescapedconvicttothewhisperedsuggestionthathewastheeccentricheirtoagreatEnglishtitleandestate。
Theoneunquestionablefactwasthatofhisextraordinaryseclusion。
Nobodyinthevillage，nostudentintheUniversity，knewhishistory。NoyoungladyintheCorinnaInstitutehadeverhadawordfromhim。Sometimes，astheboatsoftheUniversityortheInstitutewerereturningatdusk，theirrowerswouldseethecanoestealingintotheshadowsastheydrewnearit。Sometimesonamoonlightnight，whenapartyoftheyoungladieswereoutuponthelake，theywouldseethewhitecanoeglidingghost-likeinthedistance。Andithadhappenedmorethanoncethatwhenaboat\'screwhadbeenoutwithsingersamongthem，whiletheywereinthemidstofasong，thewhitecanoewouldsuddenlyappearandrestuponthewater，——notverynearthem，butwithinhearingdistance，——andsoremainuntilthesingingwasover，whenitwouldstealawayandbelostsightofinsomeinletorbehindsomejuttingrock。
Naturallyenough，therewasintensecuriosityaboutthisyoungman。