“They don’t seem to have come to any definite conclusion as to how the tragedy happened,” Morriston said.  “They have an idea, as I gather from Major Freeman, where to look for the murderer, if murder it was; which I am rather inclined to doubt.”

“Is Henshaw likely to give up the search?” Gifford asked.

Morriston looked puzzled.  “I can’t make out,” he answered in a slightly perplexed tone.  “Even Freeman does not seem to know what his idea is.  He is still about here.”

“Yes,” Gifford replied.  “I caught a glimpse of him this morning.”

“Curious,” Morriston remarked.  “I came across the fellow yesterday afternoon in the big plantation here.  He was mooning about and didn’t seem best pleased to see me, but he was quite duly apologetic, said he was puzzling over the tragedy and hoped I didn’t mind his trespassing on my property.  Of course I told him he was free to come and go as he liked, but it did strike me as peculiar that he should be thinking out the case in that plantation which has no possible connexion with the scene of the crime.”

“Yes, it was curious,” Gifford agreed reflectively.  “Did he tell you what he was doing about the business?”

Morriston shook his head.  “No; he wasn’t communicative; didn’t seem to have much to go upon.  Of course one can’t tell what the fellow has at the back of his mind, but I was rather surprised that a Londoner of his energy and smartness should spend his time loafing about down here with what seems a poor chance of any result; and I nearly told him so.”

“Perhaps it is as well you didn’t,” Gifford replied.  “He is suspicious enough to imagine you might have a motive in wanting to get rid of him.”

Morriston laughed.  “I have.  He is not exactly the man one wants to have prowling about the place; but it would not be polite to hint as much.”

The episode, trivial as it seemed to Morriston, gave Gifford food for disagreeable reflection.  Why, indeed, should Henshaw be hanging about in the grounds of Wynford, and give so unconvincing a reason?  What troubled Gifford most was that the man’s reticent attitude precluded all hope of his learning anything of his plans which could usefully be imparted to Miss Morriston.  Evidently there was nothing to be got out of him; the rather open confidence he had displayed on his first appearance at Branchester had quite disappeared, and if Gifford was to find out anything worth reporting it would assuredly not be due to any communication from the man himself.

He had accordingly to be content with the resolve to keep a wary eye on Henshaw’s movements.