The House by the River

the flesh-not because they were not interested and curious and indeed aching to be present, but because it seemed hardly decent. Since the great Nuisance

Vincent for one, and Horace Dimple, the barrister, for another-though he of course attended the inquest purely as a matter of professional interest, in the same laudable spirit of inquiry in which law students crowd to the more sensational or objectionable trials at the High Court. There were also Mr. Mard, the architect, who was on the

ich most of them felt they must undoubtedly possess. They had known all along that there was "something fishy" about that girl's disappearance, and now, you see, they were right. They looked eagerly in the morning papers and in the evening papers as only those look who have seen something actually take place, and insanely crave to see it reported in dirty print in the o

und out there were black suspicions about a Civil Servant, one John Egerton, first-class clerk in the Ministry of Drains. And for The Chase these suspicions were the really startling and enthralling outcome of the inquest, as Mrs. Vincent and others described it. Mrs.

Byrne had given his evidence in his usual charming manner, very clear and straightforward and delightful: very anxious to help the Cor

ck. Mrs. Vincent gave a little shiver. "Of course, it was all rather horr

picking up sticks." (The operation as described by Mrs. Vincent sounded incredibly puerile and base.) "Then the Coroner asked him if he remembered when. Mr

le, kind of hesitated, then he said it was about the same day-he couldn't be sure; and that was all

to appreciate the ef

h name. She was sent round to Mr. Egerton's to ask for the sack-

ton was 'short lik

was 'short like' and a bit 'uffy with her; and he said he

. Vincent said these words with a huge ironical emphasis, as if it would have reflected c

n my opinion-you know, hesitating and mumbling, as if he was

very shy man," said Mr. Dimple, "

sack-before or after the young woman disappeared. Mr. Egerton said he really didn't know, because he

n't know myself, not till one day last w

," said Mrs. Vincent,

Mr. E

have been a boxer.

He said it must have slipped off the boat, you see, and been picked up by somebody. Then they asked him what he did with the wood when he picked it up-did he put it in the sack then and there or what? He said no, he just threw it in the bottom of the boat. Then the Coroner said, 'When did you put it in the sack?' Mr. Egerton

t Mr. Dimple-a triump

reflectively, "Yes-t

Well, it stands to reason, if Mr. Egerton borrowed that sack to collect wood in, she must have seen it, unless he

ugged her should

any good-especially as

was the

e-and when they came back they said, 'Wilful murder against somebody unknown'-or something

with forced calm; the Whittakers liked Egerton, an

comes out of it very well. Of course, I know

little advice-that being so, I think one ought to be careful-not to say anything-which might be-ah, repeated-by perhaps thoughtless people-of course I know we are all friends here-and possibly misinterpreted-as a suggestion-that Mr. Egerton's part in this affair-though I know, of course, that there w

he opinion, subject of course to-" And this, combined with his habit of parenthesis and periphrasis and polysyllaby (if there is a word like that), made his utterances of almost unendurable duration. He was one of those men during whose anecdotes it is almost impossible to keep awake. Polite people, who knew him well and honoured him for the goodness of his heart and the charity of his life, sometimes rebuked themselves because of this failure, and swore to be better when they met him again. At the beginning of a story (and he had many) they would say to themselves firmly, "I will keep awake during the whole of this

aid what it was he actually thought, one was often able to make a good guess on the assumption th

ew this, and he

up, looking very severely at Mrs. Vincent. "I think it's disgusting to say such things about a man-es

was unable to utter. The Whittakers

assumed an

't understand the law, Mr. Dimple, and I don't want to be unfair to any man, but one must use one's com

e. Mr. Dimple opened his mouth an