Myrestisgone，MyheartissorePeacefindInever，Andnevermore。Margaret’sSongin’Faust。’ImustgobackalittletoexplainthemotiveswhichcausedEsthertoseekaninterviewwithherniece。ThemurderhadbeencommittedearlyonThursdaynight，andbetweenthenandthedawnofthefollowingdaytherewasampletimeforthenewstospreadfarandwideamongallthosewhoseduty，orwhosewant，orwhoseerrors，causedthemtobeabroadinthestreetsofManchester。AmongthosewholistenedtothetaleofviolencewasEsther。Acravingdesiretoknowmoretookpossessionofhermind。FarawayasshewasfromTurnerStreet，sheimmediatelysetofftothesceneofthemurder，whichwasfaintlylightedbythegreydawnasshereachedthespot。
Itwassoquietandstillthatshecouldhardlybelieveittobetheplace。
Theonlyvestigeofanyscuffleorviolencewasatrailonthedustasifsomebodybadbeenlyingthere，andthenbeenraisedbyextraneousforce。
Thelittlebirdswerebeginningtohopandtwitterintheleaflesshedge，makingtheonlysoundthatwasnearanddistinct。Shecrossedintothefieldwheresheguessedthemurderertohavestood；itwaseasyofaccess，fortheworn，stuntedhawthorn-hedgehadmanygapsinit。Thenight-smellofbruisedgrasscameupfromunderherfeet，asshewenttowardsthesaw-pitandcarpenter’sshed，which，asIhavesaidbefore，wereinacornerofthefieldneartheroad，andwhereoneofherinformantshadtoldheritwassupposedbythepolicethatthemurdererhadlurkedwhilewaitingforhisvictim。Therewasnosign，however，thatanyonehadbeenabouttheplace。Ifthegrasshadbeenbruisedorbentwherehehadtrod，ithadhadenoughoftheelasticityoflifetoraiseitselfunderthedewyinfluencesofnight。Shehushedherbreathininvoluntaryawe，butnothingelsetoldoftheviolentdeedbywhichafellow-creaturehadpassedaway。Shestoodstillforaminute，imaginingtoherselfthepositionoftheparties，guidedbytheonlycircumstancewhichaffordedanyevidence，thetrailingmarkonthedustintheroad。Suddenlyitwasbeforethesunhadrisenabovethehorizonshebecameawareofsomethingwhiteinthehedge。Allothercoloursworethesamemurkyhue，thoughtheformsofobjectswereperfectlydistinct。Whatwasit？Itcouldnotbeaflower；——that，thetimeofyearmadeclear。Afrozenlumpofsnow，lingeringlateinoneofthegnarledtuftsofthehedge？
Shesteppedforwardtoexamine。Itprovedtobealittlepieceofstiffwriting-papercompressedintoaroundshape。Sheunderstooditinstantly；