ul day. Then he told them about the coming of the
mysterious woman and her violent quarrel with the Lord Loudwater just
about the probable time of his death. Douglas at once lost his irritated
air and displayed a lively interest in the matter; Gregg listened and
blinked. Mr. Flexen told them also of Hutchings, his threats, and his
visit to the Castle. That was as far as his confidences went. But they
were enough. He had given them the very things they wanted, and they both
assured him that they would at once inform him of any discoveries they
might make themselves. They left him feeling sure that he might safely
leave the servants and the villagers to them and the policemen. If any
one in the neighbourhood knew anything about the mysterious woman, they
would probably ferret it out. What was far more important was that
tomorrow's _Wire_ and _Planet_ would contain such an advertisement of her
that any one in London or the country who knew of her relations with the
dead man would learn at once the value of that knowledge.

When they had gone he sent for Mrs. Carruthers, and learned, to his
annoyance, that none of the upper servants except Elizabeth Twitcher had
been in service at the Castle for more than four months. She could only
say that during the six weeks that she had been housekeeper there had
been very few visitors; and they had been merely callers, except when
Colonel Grey had been coming to the Castle and there had been small
tennis parties. She had heard nothing from the servants about his
lordship's being on particularly friendly terms with any lady in the
neighbourhood. Hutchings would be the most likely person to know a thing
like that. He had been in service at the Castle all his life. Of course,
her ladyship, too, she might know.

Mr. Flexen made up his mind to seek out Hutchings at once and question
him on the matter; but Mrs. Carruthers had only just left him when he saw
Olivia come into the rose-garden with Colonel Grey. He watched them idly
and perceived that, for the time being at any rate, Olivia had lost her
strained and anxious air. She was plainly enough absorbed, wholly
absorbed, in Grey. She had eyes only for him, and Mr. Flexen suspected
that her ears were at the moment deaf to everything but the sound of his
voice. They did look a well-matched pair.

It occurred to him that he might as well again question Olivia about her
husband's possible intrigue with another woman and be done with it. Ther