“Then the assassin must have gone out by the door,” he said weakly.

“Then I don’t know how he got out,” cried Eliza Flight, “for I was up at six and the front and back doors of the hotel were locked.  And after six I was about in passages and rooms doing my work, and master and missus and others were all over the place.  How could the murderer walk out, sir, without some of us seeing him?”

“Perhaps you did, and took no notice?”

“Oh, sir, if a stranger was around we should all have taken notice.”

This concluded the evidence, which was meagre enough.  Widow Anne was indeed recalled to see if Miss Flight could identify her as the woman who, had been talking to Bolton, but witness failed to recognize her, and the widow herself proved, by means of three friends, that she had been imbibing gin at home on the night and at the hour in question.  Also, there was no evidence to connect this unknown woman with the murder, and no sound—­according to the unanimous testimony of the inmates of the Sailor’s Rest—­had been heard in the bedroom of Bolton.  Yet, as the Coroner observed, there must have been some knocking and hammering and ripping going on.  But of this nothing could be proved, and although several witnesses were examined again, not one could throw light on the mystery.  Under these circumstances the jury could only bring in a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown, which was done.  And it may be mentioned that the cord with which Bolton had been strangled was identified by the landlord and the chamber-maid as belonging to the blind of the bedroom window.

“Well,” said Hope, when the inquest was over, “so nothing can be proved against anyone.  What is to be done next?”

“I’ll tell you after I have seen Random,” said the Professor curtly.

CHAPTER VII

THE CAPTAIN OF THE DIVER

The day after the inquest, Sidney Bolton’s body was buried in Gartley churchyard.  Owing to the nature of the death, and the publicity given to the murder by the press, a great concourse of people assembled to witness the interment, and there was an impressive silence when the corpse was committed to the grave.  Afterwards, as was natural, much discussion followed on the verdict at the inquest.  It was the common opinion that the jury could have brought in no other verdict, considering the nature of the evidence supplied; but many people declared that Captain Hervey of The Diver should have been called.  If the deceased had enemies, said these wiseacres, it was probable that he would have talked about them to the skipper.  But they forgot that the witnesses called at the inquest, including the mother of the dead man, had insisted that Bolton had no enemies, so it is difficult to see what they expected Captain Hervey to say.