ed round him furtively as he spoke. The little boy sitting by
the back door of the house caused him no concern, but he did not want
what he said to be overheard by the two new maid-servants who had arrived
at The Trellis House that morning.

"There's always a lot of talk when folks die sudden," he went on, in a
sententious tone. "It was as plain as the nose on your face that the
Colonel, poor chap, 'ad 'ad what they called shell-shock. I'd heard 'im
a-talking aloud to 'isself many a time. 'E was a-weary of life 'e was. So
'tis plain 'e just thought 'e'd put an end to it, like many a better man
afore 'im."

And then the youth said something that rather surprised himself, but his
mind had been working while the other had been talking.

"Did anyone say different?" was his question and the other answered in
a curious tone: "Now you're askin'! Yes, there was some folk as did say
different. They argued that the Colonel never took the pizen knowingly.
'E was very keen over terriers--we bred 'em. The best of 'em, a grand
sire, was the very spit of that little dawg sitting up on that there
bench. Colonel bred 'em for profit, not pleasure. Mrs. Crofton, she
'ated 'em, and she lost no time either in getting rid of 'em after
'e was gone. They got on 'er nerves, same as 'e'd done. She give the
best--prize-winner 'e was--to the Crowner as tried the corpse. 'E'd known
'em both--was a bit sweet on 'er 'isself."

The youth laughed discordantly. "Ho! Ho! She's that sort, is she?"

But the other spoke up at once with a touch of sharpness in his voice.

"She's a good sort to them as be'aves themselves, my lad. She give me a
good present. Got me a good, new soft place, too, that's where I'm going
to-morrer. I'm 'ere to oblige 'er, that's what I am--just to put you,
young man, in the way of things. Look sharp, please 'er, mind your
manners, and you may end better off than you know!"

The lad looked at the speaker with a gleam of rather hungry curiosity in
his lack-lustre eyes.

"Mark my words! Your missus won't be a widder long. Ever 'eard of a Major
Radmore?"

The speaker did not notice that the little boy sitting on the bench
stiffened unconsciously.

"Major Radmore?" repeated the listener. "Folk in Beechfield did know a
chap called Radmore. Lives in Australia, he does. He sent home some money
for a village club 'e did, but nothing 'as been done about it yet. Some
do say old Tosswill's sticking to the cash--a gent as what they c