replied Polke, "but he could get away
from the back of his orchard into the open country without being seen.
The geographical position of our town's a bit curious, so your lordship
knows. Here we are on a ridge. Horbury's garden and orchard run down to
the foot of that ridge. At that foot is the river. There's a foot-bridge
over the river, immediately opposite his orchard gate. He could cross
that foot-bridge, and be in the wood on the other side in two minutes
from leaving his house. That wood extends for a good mile into the
country. Oh, yes! he could get away without being seen, and once in that
country, why, he could make his way to one or other of half a dozen
small railway stations. We shall telephone to all of them. That's all in
the routine. But then, that's all supposing that he left the town.
Perhaps he didn't leave the town."

The Earl started, and Neale looked quickly up from a brown study.

"Eh?" said the Earl. "Didn't leave the town?"

"Speaking as a policeman," answered Polke, with a knowing smile, "I
don't know that he even left his house. I only know that his housekeeper
says he did. That's a very different matter. For anything we
know--absolutely know!--Mr. Horbury may have been murdered in his own
house, and buried in his own cellar."

"You're not joking?" said Neale. "Or--you are!"

"Far from it, Mr. Neale," answered Polke. "That may seem a very, very
outrageous thing to say, but, I assure you, one never knows what may not
have happened in these cases. However, Mrs. Carswell says he did leave
the house, so we must take her word to begin with, and see if we can
find out where he went. And as your lordship is here, there's just a
question or two I should like to have answered. How many people know
that your lordship handed over these valuables to Mr. Horbury?"

"So far as I know, no one but the Countess and myself," replied the
Earl. "I never mentioned the matter to any one, and I don't think my
wife would either. There was no need to mention it."

"Well, I don't know," remarked Polke. "One's got to consider all sorts
of little things in these affairs, or else I wouldn't ask another
question. Does your lordship think it possible the Countess mentioned it
to her maid?"

The Earl started in his chair.

"Ah!" he said. "That may be! She may have done that, of course. I hadn't
thought of it."

"Is the maid a trustworthy woman?" inquired Polke.

"She's been in our service twelve or fourteen yea