t a liberal portion of stewed rabbit into each plate out of the
pot which was steaming on the side of the stove. Dinner was then ready,
and brother and sister commenced their meal.

Caldew ate in silence, and his sister glanced at him wistfully at
intervals. She had no children of her own, and she had a feeling of
admiration for the brother she had mothered as a boy, who had gone to
the great city and become a London detective. From her point of view he
had achieved great fame and distinction, and she cherished in her
workbox some newspaper clippings of crime cases in which his name had
been favourably mentioned by friendly reporters. She hoped he would be
successful in finding the moat-house murderer. She would have liked to
question him about the case, but she stood a little in awe of him and
his London ways.

"What's the best way to Chidelham, Kate?" asked Caldew, as he rose from
the table. "There used to be a footpath across by Dormer's farm which
cut off a couple of miles. Is it still open?"

"It's still open, Tom. Old Dormer tried to get it closed, and went to
law about it, but he lost. Be you going across to Chidelham?"

"Yes, I shall ride over on my bicycle this afternoon. Do you know where
the Weynes live?"

"The Weynes? Oh, you mean the writing chap that bought Billing's place.
Their house stands by itself a mile out of the village, just afore you
come to Green Patch Hill."

"Thanks. I know Billing's place very well, but I wasn't aware that he
had sold it. I'd better be getting along. It's a good long ride."

"What be you goin' there for, Tom?" asked Mrs. Lumbe, with keen
curiosity. "About this case?"

"Yes," replied Caldew shortly.

"Have you found out anything yet, Tom?" pursued his sister earnestly,
her curiosity overcoming her awe of her clever brother. "Jem was telling
me before he went to Tibblestone that a ter'ble gre'at detective come
down from Lunnon this mornin', and was stirrin' up things proper. Jem
says he's a detective what travels about with the King, and 'e's got
letters to his name because of that. Is he on the tracks of the murderer
yet, Tom?"

"No, and he's not likely to, as far as I can see," said her brother a
little bitterly.

"Dear, dear, that's a pity, for it's a ter'ble thing, and an awful end
for the young lady. Jem came home all of a tremble like last night with
the ghastly sight of her corpse and I had to give him a drop of spirits
to help him to sleep. We was a talkin