After leaving the attorney’s office they called on Mr. Mainwaring the rector, and found that he knew, or professed to know, a great deal more about Goarly, than they had learned from Bearside.  According to his story Nickem, who was clerk to Mr. Masters, had Goarly in safe keeping somewhere.  The rector indeed was acquainted with all the details.  Scrobby had purchased the red herrings and strychnine, and had employed Goarly to walk over by night to Rufford and fetch them.  The poison at that time had been duly packed in the herrings.  Goarly had done this and had, at Scrobby’s instigation, laid the bait down in Dillsborough Wood.  Nickem was now at work trying to learn where Scrobby had purchased the poison, as it was feared that Goarly’s evidence alone would not suffice to convict the man.  But if the strychnine could be traced and the herrings, then there would be almost a certainty of punishing Scrobby.

“And what about Goarly?” asked the Senator.

“He would escape of course,” said the rector.  “He would get a little money and after such an experience would probably become a good friend to fox-hunting.”

“And quite a respectable man!” The rector did not guarantee this but seemed to think that there would at any rate be promise of improved conduct.  “The place ought to be too hot to hold him!” exclaimed the Senator indignantly.  The rector seemed to think it possible that he might find it uncomfortable at first, in which case he would sell the land at a good price to Lord Rufford and every one concerned would have been benefited by the transaction,—­ except Scrobby for whom no one would feel any pity.

The two gentlemen then promised to come and dine with the rector on the following day.  He feared he said that he could not make up a party as there was, he declared,—­nobody in Dillsborough.  “I never knew such a place,” said the rector.  “Except old Nupper, who is there?  Masters is a very decent fellow himself, but he has got out of that kind of thing;—­and you can’t ask a man without asking his wife.  As for clergymen, I’m sick of dining with my own cloth and discussing the troubles of sermons.  There never was such a place as Dillsborough.”  Then he whispered a word to the Squire.  Was the Squire unwilling to meet his cousin Reginald Morton?  Things were said and people never knew what was true and what was false.  Then John Morton declared that he would be very happy to meet his cousin.

CHAPTER XV

Mr. Mainwaring’s little Dinner

The company at the rector’s house consisted of the Senator, the two Mortons, Mr. Surtees the curate, and old Doctor Nupper.  Mrs. Mainwaring was not well enough to appear, and the rector therefore was able to indulge himself in what he called a bachelor party.  As a rule he disliked clergymen, but at the last had been driven to invite his curate because he thought six a better number than five for joviality.  He began by asking questions as to the Trefoils which were not very fortunate.  Of course he had heard that Morton was to marry Arabella Trefoil, and though he made no direct allusion to the fact, as Reginald had done, he spoke in that bland eulogistic tone which clearly showed his purpose.  “They went with you to Lord Rufford’s, I was told.”