sleep in a bed that did the management
credit. In fact, he had thoroughly enjoyed reading the mystery and had
even begun to feel some curiosity to see the scene of the tragedy. He
proposed to have a few walks and drives through the neighbouring
country, he said, looking at its streams and lochs with an eye to
sporting possibilities, and it would be interesting to be able to
recognise Keldale House if he chanced to pass near it.

Miss Peterkin told him which road led to Keldale and how the house might
be recognised, and suggested that he should walk out that way this very
morning. He seemed a little doubtful; spoke of his movements as things
that depended very much on the whim of the moment, just as such an
easy-going young man would be apt to do, and rather indicated that a
shorter walk would suit him better that morning.

And then a few minutes later she saw him saunter past her window,
wearing a light gray felt hat at a graceful angle and apparently taking
a sympathetic interest in a small boy trying to mount a bicycle.

XXI

MR. CARRINGTON'S WALK

Mr. Carrington's easy saunter lasted till he had turned out of the
street on which the Kings Arms stood, when it passed into an easy walk.
Though he had seemed, on the whole, disinclined to go in the Keldale
direction that morning, nevertheless he continued to head that way till
at last he was on the high road with the little town behind him; and
then his pace altered again. He stepped out now like the sportsman he
was, and was doing a good four miles an hour by the time he was out of
sight of the last houses.

For a man who had come out to gather ideas as to the sporting
possibilities of the country, Mr. Carrington seemed to pay singularly
little attention to his surroundings. He appeared, in fact, to be
thinking about something else all the time, and the first sign of
interest he showed in anything outside his thoughts was when he found
himself within sight of the lodge gates of Keldale House, with the
avenue sweeping away from the road towards the roofs and chimneys amid
the trees. At the sight of this he stopped, and leaning over the low
wall at the road side gazed with much interest at the scene of the
tragedy he had heard so much of last night. The choice spirits, had
they been there to see, would have been gratified to find that their
graphic narratives had sent this indolent looking gentleman to view the
spot so swiftly.

From the house and grounds