ed upon to mention that we
were on the marsh and heard that scream. Come, let's clear out of this
and go up to the links. A little golf will be a tonic after the gruesome
parliament we have been having."

So they went together, dismissing the unpleasant subject with the
facility of youth, and in happy ignorance that a pair of sunken, hungry
orbs were glaring after them from a tiny flaw in the privet hedge--a
spy-hole which Mr. Lazarus Lowch had specially constructed for the
purpose of keeping an eye on the comings and goings of his neighbour. He
had returned from achieving his purpose of being summoned on the jury in
time to hear the last words spoken by Reggie. The contortion which did
duty with him for a saturnine smile creased his facial muscles.

"So they heard a scream on the marsh and don't mean to say anything
about it, eh? I'll see about that," he muttered, rubbing his scraggy
hands in a transport of malevolent triumph.

The inquest on Levi Levison was held that afternoon in the long room
at the _Plume Hotel_--an apartment in much request for public functions
of all kinds, from Volunteer dinners to sombre occasions like the
present. According to precedent Mr. Lowch was chosen foreman, and,
licking his lips with anticipation, went away with his brother jurors to
gloat over the corpse of the little Hebrew. On their return the coroner
at once announced that an adjournment would be necessary, as it had been
found impossible as yet to trace the relations, if any, of the
deceased. He would, however, take such evidence as was forthcoming that
day, and leave the police to complete their investigations before the
next occasion.

The first witness was the landlord of the _Plume_, who identified the
body as that of a guest who had been stopping at the hotel for a week.
Mr. Levison, he avowed, had been very reticent about the reason of his
coming to Ottermouth, and he seemed to know nobody except a gentleman--a
visitor of the name of Chermside--who had called on him twice during the
week. The deceased had spent a good deal of time out of the hotel,
especially in the evenings.

Leslie Chermside was then called and sworn. In answer to the coroner, he
stated that he knew very little of Levison, but that the latter had made
certain business proposals to him, and had, he believed, come down to
Ottermouth with the express purpose of making them. Levison came from
London, but he did not know his address there.

"Have you an