“Come in, come in,” said Marvell heartily, at sight of the young man, who was the chief landowner of the district, and likely within a couple of years to be its lord lieutenant.  “We want your help.  Everything points to young Brand, and there is much reason to think he is still in the neighbourhood.  What assistance can you give us?”

Tatham promised a band of searchers from the estate.  The Duddon estate itself included a great deal of mountain ground, some of the loneliest and remotest in the district, where a man who knew the fells might very well take hiding.  Marvell brought out a map, and they pored over it.

The superintendent of police departed.

Then Marvell, with a glance at the door to see that it was safely shut, said abruptly: 

“You know, Faversham has done some unlucky things!”

Tatham eyed him interrogatively.

“It has come out that he was in the Brands’ cottage about a week ago, and that he left money with the family.  He says he never saw the younger son, and did not in fact know him by sight.  He offered the elder one some money in order to help him with his Canadian start.  The lad refused, not being willing, so his mother says—­I have seen her myself this morning—­to accept anything from Melrose’s agent.  But she, not knowing where to look for the expenses of her husband’s illness, took five pounds from Faversham, and never dared tell either of her sons.”

“All perfectly straightforward and natural,” said Tatham.

Marvell looked worried.

“Yes.  But you see how the thing may be twisted by men like those two—­curs!—­who have just been here.  You saw them?  They came, ostensibly, to answer my questions as to whether they could point us to any one with a particular grudge against Mr. Melrose.”

“They could have named you a hundred!” interrupted Tatham.

“No doubt.  But what their information in the end amounted to”—­the chief constable came to stand immediately in front of Tatham, lowering his voice—­“was that the only person with a really serious motive for destroying Melrose, was”—­he jerked his thumb in the direction of Faversham’s sitting-room—­“our friend!  They claim—­both of them—­to have been spectators of the growing friction between the two men.  Nash says that Melrose had spoken to him once or twice of revoking, or altering his will; and both of them declare that Faversham was quite aware of the possibility.  Of course these things were brought out apologetically—­you understand!—­with a view of ’giving Mr. Faversham the opportunity of meeting the reports in circulation,’ and so on—­’calming public opinion’—­and the rest of it.  But I see how they will work it up!  Then, of course, that the man got access to the house through Faversham’s room—­Faversham’s window left open, and the light left burning—­by his own story—­is unfortunate.”

“But what absurdity,” cried Tatham, indignantly, as he rose.  “As if the man to profit by the plot would have left that codicil on the table!”