"
Mrs. Melcombe mentioned the book in which Valentine would find it, and
repeated from memory the impressive conclusion, "And this story of the
young man's appearance to her had been repeatedly told by the girl
before his family became alarmed at his protracted absence. It was
during the long war, and the worst they feared was that he might have
been taken prisoner; but more than three years after a member of the
family met by accident, when some hundreds of miles away from home, a
naval officer who had sailed in the ship to which this young lieutenant
belonged, and heard from him, not without deep emotion, that at that
very time and at that very hour the youth had died at sea."
"There is only one mistake in that version," continued Mrs. Melcombe,
"and that is, that we do not know the exact time when the young man
died. Cuthbert Melcombe was not told the month even, only the year."
"But surely that is a very important mistake," said Valentine.
"Yes, for those to consider who believe in supernatural stones. It is
certain, however, that the girl told this story within a day or two, and
told it often, so that it was known in the village.
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