nced, by the sullen confusion of manner manifested by
Cunningham, that some villainous agency had been at work, and he again
waited on Mullins, the stone-cutter. "Who gave you the order for the
grave-stone?" he asked. Mr. Mullins referred to his book, and answered
that he received it by letter. "Had he got that letter?" "Very likely,"
he replied, "as he seldom destroyed business papers of any kind." "A
search was instituted, and finally this letter," said Mr. Flint, "worth
an earl's coronet, torn and dirty as it is, turned up." This invaluable
document, which bore the London postdate of June 23, 1832, ran as
follows:--

"Anglesea Hotel, Haymarket, London, _June_ 23, 1832.

"Sir--Please to erect a plain tomb-stone at the head of Charles
Gosford, Esquire's grave, who died a few month's since at Swords, aged
thirty-two years. This is all that need be inscribed upon it. You are
referred to Mr. Guinness of Sackville Street, Dublin, for payment. Your
obedient servant,

"Edward Chilton."

"You see," continued Flint, "the fellow had inadvertently left out the
date of Gosford's death, merely stating it occurred a few months
previously; and Mullins concluded that, in entering the order in his
day-book, he must have somehow or other confounded the date of the letter
with that of Gosford's decease. Armed with this precious discovery, I
again sought Cunningham, and by dint of promises and threats, at last got
the truth out of the rascal. It was this:--Chilton, who returned to this
country from the Cape, where he had resided for three years previously,
about two months ago, having some business to settle in Dublin, went over
there, and one day visited Swords, read the inscription on Charles
Gosford's grave-stone, and immediately sought out the grave-digger, and
asked him if he had any record of that gentleman's burial. Cunningham
said he had, and produced his book, by which it appeared that it took
place December 24, 1831. "That cannot be," remarked Chilton, and he
referred to the head-stone. Cunningham said he had noticed the mistake a
few days after it was erected; but thinking it of no consequence, and
never having, that he knew of, seen Mr. Mullins since, he had said, and
indeed thought, nothing about it. To conclude the story--Chilton
ultimately, by payment of ten pounds down, and liberal promises for the
future, prevailed upon the grave-digger to lend himself to the infamous
device the sight of the grave-stone had suggested