ngs in the
world, and, as a rule, of very little importance. But there was always
the chance that Hutchings was the unusual threatener; and, if he were, he
had assuredly been in circumstances most favourable to the carrying out
of his threats.

Accordingly he learnt from Inspector Perkins the way to the gamekeeper's
cottage in the West Wood, where Hutchings was staying with his father,
and drove the car to it himself. Hutchings was alone in the cottage, for
his father was out on his rounds. He invited Mr. Flexen to come in. Mr.
Flexen came in, sat down in an arm-chair, and examined Hutchings' face.
He saw that the man was plainly very anxious and ill at ease. It was
natural enough. He must perceive quite clearly how black against him
things looked.

He was forced also to admit to himself that Hutchings had not a pleasant
face. It was choleric and truculent, and in spite of the man's evident
anxiety, there was a sullen fierceness on it which gave him no little of
the air of a wild beast trapped.

Mr. Flexen wasted no time beating about the bush, but said to him: "When
you visited Elizabeth Twitcher last night you entered and left the Castle
by the library window."

"You got that from that young blighter Manley," said Hutchings bitterly.

"Not at all. I did not know that Mr. Manley knew it," said Mr. Flexen.
"So you did?"

"Yes, sir, I did. I always went to the village that way in the
summer-time. It's the shortest. Besides, his lordship was nearly always
asleep; and if he wasn't and did 'ear me, there was always something I
could be doing in the library, sir."

He spoke with eager, rather humble civility.

"Well, did you, as you went through the library, coming or going, hear
Lord Loudwater snore?"

Hutchings knitted his brow, thinking; then he said: "I can't call to mind
as I did, sir. But, then, I wasn't giving him any attention. I was
thinking about other things altogether. Of course, I went out quietly
enough. But that was habit."

"That sounds as if you had not heard him snore--as if you thought that he
was awake," said Mr. Flexen.

"I don't think I thought about him at all, sir, at the moment. I was
thinking about other things," said Hutchings.

"You say that Mr. Manley saw you go out?"

"Yes, sir. I passed him in the hall and went into the library. We had a
few words, and I told him I had come to fetch some cigarettes as I'd
left behind."

"Do you know what the time was?" said Mr. Flexen.

"No