Marketstoke, in Buckinghamshire. Now then--but what's your name, my
dear?"

"Lucy Summers, sir."

"Very pretty name, I'm sure! Well, and what's the message your
grandmother sent me? I want this gentleman to hear it."

"Grandmother wished me to say, sir, that we read the piece in the paper
this morning asking if anybody could give you any news about a Mr. John
Ashton, and that as we had a gentleman of that name staying with us for
three or four days some weeks since, she sent me to tell you, and to say
that if you would send somebody down to see her, she could give some
information about him."

"Very clearly put, my dear--much obliged to you," said Mr. Pawle. "Now, I
suppose you were at the Ellingham Arms when this Mr. Ashton came there?"

"Oh, yes, sir; I live there!"

"To be sure! Now, what sort of man was he--in appearance?"

"A tall, big gentleman, sir, with a beard, going a little grey. He was
wearing a blue serge suit."

Mr. Pawle nodded at Viner.

"Seems like our man," he remarked. "Now," he went on, turning again to
Lucy Summers, "you say he stayed there three or four days. What did he do
with himself while he was there?"