ler had lifted aside the dead man's coat and waistcoat, and
this had shown him the ghastly evidences of a wound which must have
been instantly fatal. Now, a shrewd if narrow intelligence was
concentrated on the one tremendous question, "Who hath done this
thing?" He looked so worried that the yellow dog, watching him, and
quick to interpret his moods, slouched warily at heel; and Farrow,
though agog with excitement, saw that his crony was ill at ease
because of some twinge of fear or suspicion.

"Speak out, Jim," he urged, dropping his voice to a confidential
pitch, lest one of the others might overhear. "Gimme the straight tip,
if you can. It need never be known that it kem from you."

"I've a good berth here," muttered the keeper, with seeming
irrelevance.

"Tell me something fresh," said Farrow, quickening with grateful
memories of many a pheasant and brace of rabbits reposing a brief
space in his modest larder.

"So, if I tell you things in confidence like----"

"I've heard 'em from any one but you."

Bates drew a deep breath, only to expel it fiercely between puffed
lips.

"It's this way," he growled. "Mr. Robert an' the ol' man didn't hit
off, an' there was a deuce of a row between 'em the other day,
Saturday it was. My niece, Mary, was a-dustin' the banisters when the
two kem out from breakfast, an' she heerd the Gov'nor say: 'That's my
last word on the subjec'. I mean to be obeyed this time.'

"'But, look here, pater,' said Mr. Robert--he always calls his father
pater, ye know--'I reelly can't arrange matters in that offhand way.
You must give me time.' 'Not another minute,' said Mr. Fenley. 'Oh,
dash it all,' said Mr. Robert, 'you're enough to drive a fellow crazy.
At times I almost forget that I'm your son. Some fellows would be
tempted to blow their brains out, an' yours, too.'

"At that, Tomlinson broke in, an' grabbed Mr. Robert's arm, an' the
Gov'nor went off in the car in a fine ol' temper. Mr. Robert left The
Towers on his motor bike soon afterward, an' he hasn't been back
since."

Although the fount of information temporarily ran dry, Farrow felt
that there was more to come if its secret springs were tapped.

"Did Mary drop a hint as to what the row was about?" he inquired.

"She guessed it had something to do with Miss Sylvia."

"Why Miss Sylvia?"

"She an' Mr. Robert are pretty good friends, you see."

"I see." The policeman saw little, but each scrap of news might fit
into its pla