"Whoy, it be the Squoire," piped Titus when his grandson went in and he came out, like the little old man and woman in the weather-gauge. "And what be you here fur, Squoire? There bain't be no funereals, surely." "No, Titus, no. I have come to ask you about what you said to Miss Mallien." "Aye." Ark looked tremendously cunning, and his face wrinkled up like that of a monkey gloating over a nut. "And what might that be, Squoire?" "You told her that you saw Mr. Carrington near the Vicarage on the night Mr. Leigh died." "Muster Leigh bain't dead I tell 'ee, Squoire." "Yes, yes, Titus; we know all about that," replied Rupert soothingly, for he was well aware of the fixed idea which dominated the old man. "But you saw Mr. Carrington about the house?" "Yus, I did, when walking round the Vicarage, not being able to sleep, me being old beyond telling, young sir, and the night being warm like. Yus," continued Ark garrulously, "I see him sure enough. He come down the road in the moonlight dressed as if t'were winter and went into the Vicarage gardens. But, Lord bless 'ee, Squoire, I did think as he'd gone to see the vicar, and nivir thought aught of him being there." "But the next morning, Titus, when you heard the vicar was dead----?" "He bain't dead, I tell 'ee, Squoire," persisted the ancient crossly. Evidently it was useless to try and beat sense into the old creature's head, so Rupert argued no further. Ark could evidently swear to Carrington's presence in the vicinity of the Vicarage on the night in question and that was the main point. "Well, Titus, we won't talk about the vicar being alive or dead. I want you to come to-morrow to The Big House to tell Mr. Carrington that you saw him on----" "Be Muster Carrington there to-morrow?" inquired the ancient, his eyes glittering and evidently eager. "Yes. At twelve o'clock. Can you swear that you saw him on that night?" "Before the King and the Lord Chancellor," grunted the sexton. "Aye, fur sure I can say so, Squoire. Oh, I'll be there, sir; I'll be there." He rubbed his old wrinkled, gnarled hands gleefully. "I'll tell what I know, Squoire." "We think that Mr. Carrington killed the vicar." "Muster Leigh he bain't dead, I tell 'ee," said Titus for the third time and very irritably, after which he shuffled back to the cottage annoyed that his constant statement was not accepted. And it was queer that the old man should persist in declaring the vicar to be alive seeing that he had assisted to lay him in the family vault, which was visible from his abode.