Cazalette--only, there are more important clues than that to go on in
the meantime. The great thing is--what was this precious secret that
the Quicks shared, and that certainly had to do with some place here
in Northumberland? Let's get at that--if we can."

The two police officials went away with Dr. Lorrimore and his servant,
all in deep converse, and the four of us who were left behind
endeavoured to settle our minds for the repose of the night. But I saw
that Mr. Raven had been upset by the recent talk: he had got it firmly
fixed in his consciousness that the murderer of Salter Quick was, as
it were, in our very midst.

"How do I know that the guilty man mayn't be one of my own servants?"
he muttered, as he, Mr. Cazalette and I took up our candles. "There
are six men in the house--all strangers to me--and several employed
outside. The idea's deucedly unpleasant!"

"Ye may put it clear away from you, Raven," said Mr. Cazalette. "The
murderer may be within bow-shot, but he's none o' yours. Ye'll look
deeper, far, far deeper than that--this is no ordinary affair, and no
ordinary men at the bottom of it." Then, when he and I had left our
host, and were going along one of the upstairs passages towards our
own rooms, he added: "No ordinary man, Middlebrook! but you see how
ordinary folk are suspicioned! Raven'll be doubting the _bona fides_
of his own footmen and his own garden lads next. No--no! it'll be
deeper down than that, my lad!"

"The mystery is deep," I agreed.

"Aye--and I'm wondering if it was well to let yon Chinese fellow into
all of it," he muttered significantly. "I'm no great believer in
Orientals, Middlebrook."

"Lorrimore answers for him," said I.

"And who answers for Lorrimore?" he demanded. "What do you or I know
of Lorrimore? I'm thinking yon Lorrimore was far too glib of his
tongue--and maybe I was too ready myself and talked beyond reason to
strangers. I don't know Lorrimore--nor his Chinaman."

From which I gathered that Mr. Cazalette himself was not superior to
suspicions.

CHAPTER XII

NETHERFIELD BAXTER

However Mr. Raven's nerves may have been wrung by the mysterious
events which found place around his recently acquired possessions,
nothing untoward or disturbing occurred at Ravensdene Court itself at
that time. Indeed, had it not been for what we heard from outside, and
for such doings as the visit of the inspector and Scarterfield, the
daily life under Mr. Raven's roo