"As they stood after the inquest," explained Gwen with a shrug. "The jury brought in an open verdict, but the general opinion is that my father was murdered by the man who spoke to the girl in the tap-room of the Bull Inn." Hench winced. Every one appeared to be agreed that the tramp was the culprit, and he guessed that if discovered the tramp would have little chance of escaping a most uncomfortable trial. Even if he proved his innocence the experience would be unpleasant. Wondering what Mrs. Perage and the girl would say if he were to acknowledge that he was the man referred to, he began to ask questions in a grave voice. "Do you think that this tramp is the guilty person?" "It looks like it," rejoined Gwen promptly. "The man asked the way to the Gipsy Stile and evidently went there. Afterwards my father was found dead near the stile." "Had this tramp any motive to murder your father?" "How can I tell that?" said the girl irritably. "I am only taking what evidence suggests his guilt. Why should he come to Cookley and ask the way to the very place where my father was afterwards found dead?" "But the fact that the man asked the way to the stile shows that he was a stranger in Cookley. Would a stranger come here to murder your father?" "Hum!" said Mrs. Perage suddenly. "Madoc Evans had many enemies!" "Can you name any of them?" "Every one in the neighbourhood, I should say," snapped the old lady cynically. "Exactly. Every one in the neighbourhood. But this tramp was a stranger." "He might have been hired by some one to murder the Squire," said Mrs. Perage vaguely. "In that case the some one would have explained how this bravo was to get to the stile," said Hench coolly. And then he wondered if Gwen knew anything about the advertisement. "Also," he continued, "the some one must have known that Squire Evans would be at the stile at that particular time. Now, Miss Evans, can you tell me if your father made any appointment?" Gwen shook her head. "I can't say. My father did many things about which he told me nothing. Often in summer he walked out after dinner, as he did on the night he was murdered, but where he went I can't say. We searched the park when we missed him, and afterwards the woods on chance." "Was your father agitated on that night?" "He was agitated from the time the woman came to see him," said Gwen quickly. Hench sat up, and a thrill passed through him. "A woman?" "Yes! Some time in June a woman called one afternoon and had an interview with my father in the library. She was with him for two hours, and when she went away he was very much upset. I asked him who she was and why the visit annoyed him--as it plainly did." "And he told you to mind your own business, I'll be bound," said Mrs. Perage with a grim smile, for she knew Evans thoroughly.