‘Mrs. Newbury hasn’t any business to talk.’

‘Of course she hasn’t. And of course she does. If there is any way of stopping a leaky tongue, nobody has ever found it yet.’

‘Well, whatever she says, I don’t suppose she knows very much. And anyhow anything she did say would pile up like a snowball before it got half way round the village.’

He nodded gloomily.

‘That isn’t all. There’s been a mob of reporters milling round, wanting to know all about everything-Lila-me-you-what it feels like to be engaged to a girl and come back from America to find she’s going to marry someone else next week-what it feels like to be a suspect-’

‘They didn’t ask you that!’

‘Not quite. But they’d have liked to, and they got precious near it.’

She thought, ‘It’s the reporters who have really got under his skin.’

He went on in an angry voice.

‘If you had shown up at the Boar they’d have been on to you, and you’d have been torn to bits. I kept on saying, “No statement”, in the best diplomatic manner, and Mrs. Reed helped me to give them the slip. I gather she’s one of the people who think perhaps I didn’t do it, or if I did, he was asking for it and only got what was coming to him. He doesn’t seem to have managed to get himself liked very much down here, and they all seem to be sorry for Lila, but-Oh, Ray, it’s a mess! And you had better clear out-you really had.’ He put his two hands on her shoulders and let them rest there heavily.

Standing like that and looking up at him, her face very clear and pale, she said,

‘Oh, no, Bill. You didn’t really think I would, did you?’

‘I don’t want you mixed up in it.’

‘If you are mixed up in it-and Lila-then I am too.’

‘I don’t want you to be.’

‘You can’t help it. I’m here. And I’m going to stay. And they haven’t arrested you yet anyhow. You know what village gossip is-bits and scraps all well boiled up and passed along, with a new bit added every time anyone can think of something fresh to say. And tomorrow there’ll be quite a new story all about somebody else. After all, Bill, you didn’t kill Herbert Whitall, and somebody else did. Just hold on to that. Somebody killed him, and the police are going to find out who it was. Or if they don’t, Miss Silver will.’

The words came tumbling out. The dragging pain had gone. She was ready to fight again. Colour and courage came back. The face turned up to Bill’s was so warm and glowing that if he had not let go of her and stepped back he would have kissed it. And if he were going to kiss Ray now, it would mean too much to both of them. The time was gone when he could give her a friendly hug and brush her cheek with casual lips. It had gone by. It wouldn’t come again. Something ran between them, quick and strong. He stepped back and said,

‘All right-we pin our faith on Miss Silver. But she’ll have to be quick about it. I don’t see the police working overtime to get me out of a hole. It looks as if they were all set in the opposite direction.’

‘Like us,’ said Ray firmly. ‘We’re going down to the Boar to get that coffee.’

‘Oh, no, we’re not.’

She stamped again, but this time it was on soft earth.

‘Do you want me to go down there by myself? I will if you won’t come with me!’

‘The place is full of reporters.’

‘Do you suppose I care? I want that coffee, and I’m going down to the Boar to get it! And if you don’t come with me, I’ll talk to the reporters and say anything that comes into my head-anecdotes of your youth-how you made seventy-five not out in a village cricket match-how you jumped in off the pier at Brighton to save a child-’

‘I never did such a thing in my life!’

She laughed.

‘But I can say you did, and the more you say you didn’t, the more they’ll only think you are being modest. I can think up a lot more things like that, and I will if you don’t take me down to the Boar and give me that coffee.’

‘Ray, don’t be a fool! Don’t you see, if we go down there together-’

She said lightly,

‘Of course I see! They’ll think I’m a girl friend, and they’ll think perhaps it wasn’t so awfully serious about Lila, and that will be all to the good.’

‘Oh, you’re being a smoke-screen? I don’t think I want one.’

Ray began to be afraid she had gone too far. She hadn’t meant to say all that-it just slipped out. She let her voice tremble.

‘Oh, Bill-’

‘Well, I don’t.’

‘Bill, I’m sorry-I didn’t mean it that way.’

‘And now you are trying to get round me.’

‘Of course I am. And I really do want that coffee. Oh, Bill, don’t quarrel-I do hate it so!’

She slipped a hand inside his arm. There was an odd moment of emotion. So little time to quarrel in. Perhaps no time to make it up. He said in a forced, jerky voice,

‘All right, let’s come.’

CHAPTER XXXVI

Miss Silver remained in the Blue Room. She was considering what she would do next. An interview with Frederick? If she rang the bell in this room, he would answer it. But she would rather choose a more natural opportunity. She had no wish to startle him or to increase his obvious nervousness. Since this room appeared to be his charge, he would probably come in presently in order to attend to the fire. She decided to remain where she was and see what would happen.

It was a little later that the telephone bell rang. It was not, of course, her business to answer it, but since she was there on the spot, she did so. Frank Abbott’s voice said, ‘Hullo!’

‘Miss Silver speaking.’

‘I’m just off to meet the Chief. This is to let you know that I asked Newbury the question you suggested, and he says yes, the sister has a bicycle. He noticed it when he was there. That’s all. Goodbye. Love to the Chief, I suppose?’

He had rung off before Miss Silver could reprove this impertinence. The whole encounter had passed so quickly that it was over by the time Marsham had reached the extension in his pantry and lifted the receiver.

With a look of satisfaction Miss Silver resumed her seat. She had felt sure that there would be a bicycle. She took up her knitting, and had made good progress when Frederick came in with a basket of logs. Drilled by Marsham always to shut a door behind him, he did so now, and knelt down before the hearth to make up the fire. Miss Silver was struck afresh by his pallor. Either the boy was ill, or he had something on his mind. The something on his mind might be Gloria Good, or it might not. It might be something a great deal more serious.

Sitting to one side of the hearth, she had a good view of Frederick ’s profile. Now, as she addressed him, he turned towards her.

‘You have not been here very long, have you?’

‘No, miss.’

She coughed gently.

‘This is a very disturbing and terrible thing to have happened in a house. It must have upset you very much.’

The hand in which he was balancing a log of wood shook perceptibly. The log slipped and fell clattering upon the andirons. Since no other answer appeared to be necessary, Miss Silver continued.

‘I can see that it has upset you. But you must not let it weigh upon you too much. All this will pass-for you. There are others who may be more sadly and more permanently affected. It will be a terrible thing if any suspicion should continue to rest upon Miss Lila Dryden.’

A distressed flush came up into Frederick ’s face. The words which he had used to Ray Fortescue sprang to his lips.

‘She never did it!’

The atmosphere of friendliness which emanated from Miss Silver had gained her many confidences in the past. It was neither calculated nor insincere, but the natural outcome of a deep interest in other people’s problems and a warm desire to help them. She felt a true concern for Frederick. She said in her kindest voice,

‘I do not think that anyone who knows her would believe her capable of violence.’