e
was suspected.

The blood from his encounter with his captors was on his clothes and
stick. Jasper pointed it out, and even those who had seen it fall there
looked darkly at the stains. He was taken back to the town and to Mr.
Crisparkle's house, who promised that he should remain in his own
custody.

Neville's story was simple. He said they had gone to the river, as
Jasper had said, and returned together, he to Mr. Crisparkle's, Edwin
Drood to his uncle's. He had not seen the other since that time.

The river was dragged and its banks searched, but to no purpose, till
Mr. Crisparkle himself found Drood's watch caught among some timbers in
a weir.

But as the body could not be found, it could not be definitely proven
that Drood was dead, or that any murder had been committed, so at last
Neville was released. The whole neighborhood, however, believed him
guilty of the murder. No one spoke to him and he was obliged to quit the
place.

Beside his sister Helena and Rosebud, who, of course, believed in his
innocence, he had but one friend there--Mr. Crisparkle. The latter
stoutly refused to believe him guilty. When Neville left for London,
through Mr. Grewgious, Rosebud's guardian, the minister found him a
cheap lodging and made frequent trips to the city to help and advise him
in his studies.

Mr. Grewgious had his own opinion of the affair. One day he went to
Cloisterham to see Jasper, and there told him a thing the other did not
yet know--that before that last night Edwin Drood and Rosebud had
agreed not to marry. When he heard this the choir master's face turned
the color of lead. He shrieked and fell senseless at the lawyer's feet.
Mr. Grewgious went back to the city more thoughtful than ever, and it
was not long before a detective came from London to Cloisterham and
began to interest himself in all the doings of John Jasper.

The detective, to be sure, was not known as such. He called himself
"Dick Datchery" and gave it out that he was an idle dog who lived on his
money and had nothing to do. He was a curious-looking man, with a great
shock of white hair, black eyebrows and a military air. He rented
lodgings next door to the choir master, and before long had made friends
with Durdles, the tombstone maker, and even with The Deputy of the
"wake-cock warning."

Meanwhile Jasper, haggard and red-eyed, took again his place in the
cathedral choir, while Neville Landless worked sadly and alone in his
London garr