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But when the fire was quite put out, o' course the people went away home to bed, and it wasn't till the morning that anybody went in to turn the place over. Then they found the body." "Badly burnt, I believe?" "Horrid burnt, sir. If it wasn't for Mr. Peytral's being missing, I doubt if they'd have known it was him at all. It took a doctor's examination to see clear that the throat had been cut.
Peytral's being missing, he said, 'I doubt if they'd have known it was him at all. I think those were his exact words. More, you must remember that the body has not been seen by either of Peytral's relatives." "But then," I protested, "if it isn't his body whose is it?" "Ah, indeed," Hewitt responded, "whose is it? Don't you see the possibilities of the thing?
Peytral's turn again and go on, and Bowmore's turn into the edge of the wood and come along among the trees. You don't see them in the grassy parts quite as well as I do, I expect, but there they are. We'll keep after Peytral's prints. Bowmore's come back in the same track, I see." The next stile led to Penn's Meadow.
Bowmore had no friends nearer than Canada, and he was reading for the Bar in a very desultory way, as I gathered. Miss Peytral's childhood had been passed in the West Indies, at the town of San Domingo, in fact, where her father had been a merchant. Her mother had been a helpless invalid ever since Miss Peytral could remember.
Victor Peytral, I believe?" said Martin Hewitt. "Yes, sir," answered the dark gentleman snappishly, "but I don't know you!" "There has been a deal of trouble here, Mr. Peytral, over your absence from home, as no doubt you have become aware; and I was telegraphed for by your daughter. My name is Hewitt Martin Hewitt." Peytral's face changed instantly. "I know your name well, Mr. Hewitt," he said.
It was because of that they arrested Mr. Bowmore, of course." "Just so. And is this gamekeeper Grant in the same employ as yourself?" "Oh, no, sir! Mr. Peytral's is only just an acre or two of garden and a paddock. Grant's master is Colonel White, up at the Hall." "Very good. You were saying that Mr. Peytral told Mr. Bowmore to get out of his sight, and that Mr. Bowmore walked away. What then?"
Who is the dead man, and where is Peytral, and why has he gone? Don't you see the possibilities of the case now?" Light broke upon me suddenly. I saw what Hewitt meant. Here was a possible explanation of the whole thing Peytral's recent change of temper, his evening prowlings, his driving away of Bowmore, and lastly, of his disappearance his flight, as it now seemed probable it was.
He had warned the people of the cottage that he might be away for a night or two, and he had stayed away for two nights before; so that his disappearance did not disturb them, and when they heard that Mr. Peytral's body had been found in the barn they accepted the news as fact. They recognised at once a photograph produced by Plummer as that of their late lodger.
Quite probably he has had small current accounts in other names at various times to aid in his schemes, but his main account has always stood in his real name; and by that, you see, we get some confirmation of Peytral's story. Well, as I say, the account was opened in the name of Mayes, and the cheque-book was issued which we discovered last night.
I was neither, and I was judged a suitable victim by Mayes. Not I alone, either no, nor even only I and my fortune. Gentlemen, gentlemen, my poor wife, who now lies " Peytral's utterance failed him. He rose as if choking, and Hewitt rose to quiet him. "Never mind," he said, "sit quiet now. We understand. Rest a moment."
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