"Mr. Byrne said he remembered lending the sack to Mr. Egerton--to collect firewood or something--you know, he's _always_ poking about in that silly boat of his, 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. Byrne said it was about three weeks ago. Then they asked was it before or after the day that this young woman disappeared. You could have heard a pin drop. "I was really sorry for Mr. Byrne; I could see he didn't like it a bit. He didn't answer for a little, kind of hesitated, then he said it was _about_ the same day--he couldn't be sure; and that was all they could get out of him--it was _about_ the same day. And you should have _seen_ Mr. Egerton's face." Mrs. Vincent paused to appreciate the effect of her narrative. "Then there was the Byrnes' young woman, Mabel Jones or some such name. She was sent round to Mr. Egerton's to ask for the sack--one day last week. And _she_ said--what was it she said, Mr. Dimple?" "She said Mr. Egerton was 'short like' with her, and--" "Ah yes!" Mrs. Vincent hastened to resume the reins. "He was 'short like' and a bit 'uffy with her; and he said he'd lost the sack, picking up wood--lost it in the river.... "And then Mr. Egerton himself was put in the box and he told _exactly the same story_!" Mrs. Vincent said these words with a huge ironical emphasis, as if it would have reflected credit on Mr. Egerton had he invented an entirely new story for the purposes of the inquest. "He told exactly the same story, and he told it very badly, in my opinion--_you_ know, hesitating and mumbling, as if he was keeping something back--and looking at the floor all the time." "We must remember he's naturally a very shy man," said Mr. Dimple, "and a public inquest, at the best--" "Yes, but look what he _said_--The Coroner asked him the same question--when was it he had borrowed the sack--before or after the young woman disappeared. Mr. Egerton said he really didn't know, because he didn't know when the young woman had disappeared.... As if we didn't _all_ know, the very next day...." "Pardon me," said Mr. Dimple, "but I didn't know myself, not till one day last week--and I live two doors from the Byrnes--" "Yes, but you're a _man_," said Mrs. Vincent, with a large contempt. "So is Mr. Egerton." Mrs. Vincent should have been a boxer. She recovered nobly.