-" He had almost caught and shaken me by the collar,
but remembered my hurt just in time. "And do you, sir, sit there and tell
me that you've known this all along, and yet--oh, you numskull!" He flung
up two protesting hands.

"But even if it's a real hearse--" I began.

"That's the kind most frequently met, I believe. And 'the wheels go
round without a sound.' Yes, they _would_--on Blackadon turf! Any more
questions? No? Then I'll take my turn with a few." He wheeled round
upon the farmer. "Ever seen it yourself?"

"No, sir."

"Has anyone here seen it?"

No; but the maidservant's father had seen it, three weeks ago--the very
night that Squire Granville's house was tried--

Mr. Noy was almost capering. "Splendid!" he cried. "Splendid! That will
sharpen his temper if it don't his wits. The Squire's house was tried,
you say?" He turned on the farmer again. "Hullo, my friend! I understood
there were no law-breakers in this parish?"

"'Tisn't known for certain that the house was tried," the farmer
explained. "'Tis thought that some of the lads was giving the old boy a
scare, he having been extra sharp on the poaching this year. All that's
known is, he heard some person trying his shutters, and let fly out of his
bedroom window with a gun; and what you can build on that I don't see."

"You shall though." He began to cross-examine the girl. "At what time
that night did your father see the hearse?"

"I believe, sir, 'twas soon after eleven. He has a cow, sir, in calf, and
went round to the chall to make sure she was all right--"

Mr. Noy nodded. "And the hearse was passing--in what direction?"

"Towards the church town, sir; or, as you may say, towards St. Neot
parish."

"Inland, that is?"

"Yes, sir. But later on that same night Reub Clyma, up to Taphouse, saw
it too; and this time 'twas moving fast and making towards Polperro."

"Fits like a puzzle. Is Polperro a seaport town?" he asked the farmer.

"A sort of fishing town, sir."

"Your nearest? Good. And you reach it by a road running north and south
across the coach-road? Good. Now if you wanted to drive to Polperro you
could do so across the downs for some distance, eh? before striking this
road. Good again. How far?"

"You'll excuse me, but I don't know that I rightly take your meaning."

"Then we'll go slower. Suppose that you wished to drive towards Polperro
over turf, never minding the jolts, and not to strike into t