e through them
woods on the Shawl there about a quarter to ten last night: I'd been
across to the other side to see a man of mine that's poorly in bed. Now,
I never heard aught, never saw aught--but then, it's true I was
hurrying--I'd made an appointment for a hand at whist with the Mayor at
my house at ten o'clock, and I thought I was late. I never heard a
sound--not so much as a dead twig snap! But then, it would ha' been
before that--at some time."

"Yes, at some time," agreed Brereton. "Well,--I'll see you in court, no
doubt."

He turned back, and followed Bent and Avice at a distance, watching them
thoughtfully.

"At some time?" he mused. "Um! Well, I'm now conversant with the
movements of two inhabitants of Highmarket at a critical period of last
night. Mallalieu didn't go to cards with Northrop until ten o'clock, and
at ten o'clock Cotherstone returned to his house after being absent--one
hour."

CHAPTER IX

ANTECEDENTS

During the interval which elapsed between these early morning
proceedings and the bringing up of Harborough before the borough
magistrates in a densely-packed court, Brereton made up his mind as to
what he would do. He would act on Avice Harborough's suggestion, and,
while watching the trend of affairs on behalf of the suspected man,
would find out all he could about the murdered one. At that moment--so
far as Brereton knew--there was only one person in Highmarket who was
likely to know anything about Kitely: that person, of course, was the
queer-looking housekeeper. He accordingly determined, even at that early
stage of the proceedings, to have Miss Pett in the witness-box.

Harborough, who had been formally arrested and charged by the police
after the conversation at the police-station, was not produced in court
until eleven o'clock, by which time the whole town and neighbourhood
were astir with excitement. Somewhat to Brereton's surprise, the
prosecuting counsel, who had been hastily fetched from Norcaster and
instructed on the way, went more fully into the case than was usual.
Brereton had expected that the police would ask for an adjournment
after the usual evidence of the superficial facts, and of the prisoner's
arrest, had been offered; instead of that, the prosecution brought
forward several witnesses, and amongst them the bank-manager, who said
that when he cashed Kitely's draft for him the previous morning, in
Harborough's presence, he gave Kitely the one half of the m