Janet Tosswill hesitated.  “I wish I could come back with you,” she said at last, regretfully.  “But I promised to go straight home this morning.”

She debated within herself whether she should say anything here and now about Dolly’s engagement; then she made up her mind not to do so yet.

Miss Pendarth, slightly lowering her voice, went on:  “Perhaps I might come in this afternoon, and bring what I want to show you with me?  It’s a full report of the inquest held on Colonel Crofton.”

Janet looked up quickly.  “I confess I should very much like to read that,” she exclaimed, and then she added, “but I shan’t be in this afternoon.  I’ve promised to go over to Oakford.”

That much information she would vouchsafe her old friend.

A slightly satirical look came over Miss Pendarth’s face.  She told herself how foolish it was of Janet to suppose for a single moment that that good-looking young clergyman was ever likely to make an offer to tiresome, stupid, untidy Dolly Tosswill!

“I wonder if you would lend me the paper?” Janet suggested hesitatingly.  “Timmy could go for it now, and I would send it you back the moment I had read it.”

“Very well,” said the other, not very graciously.  “I suppose Timmy can be trusted to be careful of it?  I went to great trouble to get a copy, and I don’t think I should be able to get another.”  She added slowly:  “I got it at the request of Colonel Crofton’s sister, but I have not yet sent it to her because I thought it would distress her too much.”

* * * * *

A few minutes later Timmy was gazing round the hall of Rose Cottage with eager, inquisitive eyes.  Miss Pendarth did not care for children, and though Timmy frequently came to her door with a note, he was very seldom invited inside the house.

Even now his hostess said rather sharply:  “Run out into the garden, Timmy, while I go upstairs and find an envelope big enough in which to put the paper for your mother.  I daresay I shall be away five minutes, for I want you to take her a note with it.”

The boy went through the glass door into the garden.  He walked briskly up the path, kicking a pebble as he went, and then he sat down on the bench where, not so very long ago, Olivia Pendarth and Godfrey Radmore had sat discussing the curious and tragic occurrence which still filled Miss Pendarth’s mind.

Timmy asked himself what exactly was the meaning of the word inquest?  Why had a paper printed what Miss Pendarth called a full account of the inquest on Colonel Crofton’s death?  Was it “inquest” or “henquest”?  His agile mind swung back to the mysterious words he had heard Mrs. Crofton’s ex-man-servant utter in the stable-yard of The Trellis House.

At last Miss Pendarth opened the door giving into the garden, and Timmy, jumping up, hurried down the path toward the house.  He then saw that she held a neat-looking brown paper roll in her hand, and over the roll was slipped an india-rubber band.