He entered his bedroom and at once began drinking the whisky. He drank glass after glass, though he was by no means in the habit of doing so, and at last flung himself, half-undressed, stupefied, on the bed, and speedily fell into a heavy slumber. But Mrs. Henderson herself could not sleep for thinking of him. Something had happened, at all events, greatly to disturb him, and Mrs. Henderson felt ill at ease. The next morning he did not come down to breakfast at the usual time, and finally his mother went up to his room-door and rapped. "It's late, Tom; are you not well?" she called. "I've a beastly headache. I'll be down directly," he answered, and when he did appear Mrs. Henderson was quite shocked at his appearance. He looked ill, haggard, and nervous, and ate nothing, drinking his tea, in sullen silence. All the rest of the morning it was the same thing. He did not go out, but seemed in a state of restless excitement that he could not suppress. Then about twelve o'clock a rumor reached Stourton Grange that a murder had been committed in Fern Dene. The gardener heard it outside and hurried into the kitchen to tell his news. It was not known at first who it was. A woman's body had been found in the Dene, that was all, and when Mrs. Henderson went into her larder to inspect its contents and order the dinner, her cook followed her and told her mistress what she had heard. Mrs. Henderson turned actually faint as she listened. Tom's strange conduct instantly recurred to her mind. But no, what folly, she told herself the next minute. But, nevertheless, she went into the breakfast-room where Tom was sitting pretending to read the newspapers, with trembling footsteps. "Tom," she said, "they say something dreadful has happened in Fern Dene--" She was looking at her son's face as she spoke, and the ghastly pallor that at once spread over it filled her own heart with terror. "What has happened?" he asked, hoarsely. "They--say a murder," answered Mrs. Henderson in a faltering voice. "A murder! What folly!" repeated Tom, and he rose hastily and flung the newspaper on the floor as he did so. His whole manner indicated extreme agitation, and his mother grew pale as she watched him. "What cock-and-bull story have you got hold of now, I wonder?" he went on harshly, a few moments later. "They say a woman's body has been found in the Dene," answered Mrs. Henderson, slowly, and Tom Henderson visibly started as she spoke. "I don't believe it," he said, abruptly, and a moment later he hastily left the room, leaving his mother greatly agitated. Henderson had not left the house the whole morning, but after pacing up and down his own bedroom for some minutes an extreme restlessness came over him, and he went toward the stables, and in the stable yard he found Jack Reid, the groom, rubbing down a horse.