ered the room.
And with the parson came Mr. Puddleham. The Marquis had thought that
the parson might, perhaps, intrude; and Mr. Puddleham was in waiting
as a make-weight, should he be wanting. When Mr. Fenwick had met
the minister hanging about the farmyard, he had displayed not the
slightest anger. If Mr. Puddleham chose to come in also, and make
good his doing so before the Marquis, it was nothing to Mr. Fenwick.
The great man looked up, as though he were very much startled and
somewhat offended; but he did at last condescend to shake hands,
first with one clergyman and then with the other, and to ask them to
sit down. He explained that he had come over to make some personal
inquiry into the melancholy matter, and then proceeded with his
opinion respecting Sam Brattle. "From all that I can hear and see,"
said his lordship, "I fear there can be no doubt that this murder has
been due to the malignity of a near neighbour."

"Do you mean the poor boy that is in prison, my lord?" asked the
parson.

"Of course I do, Mr. Fenwick. The constabulary are of opinion--"

"We know that, Lord Trowbridge."

"Perhaps, Mr. Fenwick, you will allow me to express my own ideas. The
constabulary, I say, are of opinion that there is no manner of doubt
that he was one of those who broke into my tenant's house on that
fatal night; and, as I was explaining to Mr. Gilmore when you did us
the honour to join us, in the course of a long provincial experience
I have seldom known the police to be in error."

"Why, Lord Trowbridge--!"

"If you please, Mr. Fenwick, I will go on. My time here cannot be
long, and I have a proposition which I am desirous of making to
Mr. Gilmore, as a magistrate acting in this part of the county. Of
course, it is not for me to animadvert upon what the magistrates may
do at the bench to-morrow."

"I am sure your lordship would make no such animadversion," said Mr.
Gilmore.

"I do not intend it, for many reasons. But I may go so far as to say
that a demand for the young man's release will be made."

"He is to be released, I presume, as a matter of course," said the
parson.

The Marquis made no allusion to this, but went on. "If that be
done,--and I must say that I think no such step would be taken by the
bench at Westbury,--whither will the young man betake himself?"

"Home to his father, of course," said the parson.

"Back into this parish, with his paramour, to murder more of my
tenants."

"My lord, I c