may have been meant to lead up to the failure of the murder and the
escape of Edwin. Of course Dickens would not have treated these
incidents, when he came to make Edwin explain,--nobody else could
explain,--in my studiously simple style. The drugged Edwin himself
would remember the circumstances but mistily: his evidence would
be of no value against Jasper.

Mr. Proctor next supposes, we saw, that Drood got into touch with
Grewgious, and I have added the circumstances which might take
Grewgious to the churchyard. Next, when Edwin recovered health, he
came down, perhaps, as Datchery, to spy on Jasper. I have
elsewhere said, as Mr. Cuming Walters quotes me, that "fancy can
suggest no reason why Edwin Drood, if he escaped from his wicked
uncle, should go spying about instead of coming openly forward. No
plausible unfantastic reason could be invented." Later, I shall
explain why Edwin, if he is Datchery, might go spying alone.

It is also urged that Edwin left Rosa in sorrow, and left blame on
Neville Landless. Why do this? Mr. Proctor replies that
Grewgious's intense and watchful interest in Neville, otherwise
unexplained, is due to his knowledge that Drood is alive, and that
Neville must be cared for, while Grewgious has told Rosa that Edwin
lives. He also told her of Edwin's real love of her, hence Miss
Bud says, "Poor, poor Eddy," quite a propos de bottes, when she
finds herself many fathoms deep in love with Lieutenant Tartar,
R.N. "'Poor, poor Eddy!' thought Rosa, as they walked along,"
Tartar and she. This is a plausible suggestion of Mr. Proctor.
Edwin, though known to Rosa to be alive, has no chance! But, as to
my own remark, "why should not Edwin come forward at once, instead
of spying about?" Well, if he did, there would be no story. As