en de
fust man, he come to de dooh wid de housekeeper. I was in de
shadder and dey didn' see me, but I heah 'im say, kind o' soft
like, 'Remember, my deah lady, dis is a biz'ness contract; I does
my part, an' I 'spects my pay.' An' she says, 'Oh, yes, yoh shall
hab yohr money widout fail.' An' I says to myse'f, 'Mose, yoh ole
fool, what you stan'in' heah foh? Dat ain't nuffin dat consarns
yoh nohow,' an' I goes home, an' dat's all I know, sah. But I'se
ben pow'ful sorry eber sence dat I didn' let mars'r Mainwaring
know 'bout it, 'case I has my 'spicions," and the old darkey shook
his head, while the tears coursed down his furrowed cheeks.

"How did you hear of Mr. Mainwaring's death?" asked the coroner.

"De coachman, he done tole me, sah."

"Why, the coachman stated that you told him what had occurred."

"No, sah; he done tole me; I'd come up to de place pow'ful ahly
dat mawnin' 'case dere was to be such big doings dat day, an' I
was gwine to de tool-house foh sump'in, an' I see mars'r Walter
ridin' away from de stables pow' ful fas' on his hoss-"

"Do you mean Walter LaGrange?"

"Yes, sah; an' de coachman he came out an' I ax 'im whar de young
man was gwine dat ahly, an' he say mars'r Mainwaring ben killed, an'
mars'r Walter had to go to town as fas' as his hoss cud take 'im."

"Do you know when he returned?"

"He came back, sah, befo' berry long, an' den he went away agin and
didn't come back till mos' noon."

When the old darkey had been dismissed the coachman was recalled.

"What did you mean by stating that you first heard of Mr.
Mainwaring's death from the gardener, when the reverse was the
truth?"

"I don't know," he replied, carelessly; "I s'pose I got mixed. I
remember talking with him about it, and I thought he told me."

"You had forgotten the interview with Walter LaGrange, I presume."

Brown made no answer.

"Why did you not mention that?"

"I wasn't asked to," he replied in insolent tones; "you said nothing
to me about Mr. LaGrange."

"You are expected to state in full every occurrence having any
bearing on the situation. You may give the particulars of that
interview now."

"There's nothing to tell more than Uncle Mose told. I was working
in the stables as usual, and Mr. LaGrange came in in a big hurry
and ordered me to saddle his horse as quick as I could, that Mr.
Mainwaring had been murdered, and he'd got to go to town."

"At what time was this?"

"About half-past sev