"See that girl outside?" he asked. "She's the reason of my ringing you up." "Yes?" said Viner. "But what--why? More mystery?" "Don't know," said Mr. Pawle. "I've kept her story till you came. She turned up here about three-quarters of an hour ago, and said that her grandmother, who keeps an inn at Marketstoke, in Buckinghamshire, had seen the paragraph in the papers this morning in which I asked if anybody could give any information about Mr. John Ashton's movements, and had immediately sent her off to me with the message that a gentleman of that name stayed at their house for a few days some weeks since, and that if I would send somebody over there, she, the grandmother, could give some particulars about him. So that solves the question we were talking of at Markendale Square, as to where Ashton went during the absence Mrs. Killenhall told us of." "If this is the same Ashton," suggested Viner. "We'll soon decide that," answered Mr. Pawle as he touched the bell on his desk. "I purposely awaited your coming before hearing what this young woman had to tell. Now, my dear," he continued as a clerk brought the girl into the room, "take a chair and tell me what your message is, more particularly. You're from Marketstoke eh? Just so--and your grandmother, who sent you here, keeps an inn there?" "Yes, sir, the Ellingham Arms," replied the girl as she sat down and glanced a little nervously at her two interviewers. "To be sure. And your grandmother's name is--what?" "Hannah Summers, sir." "Mrs. Hannah Summers. Grandfather living?" "No, sir." "Very well--Mrs. Hannah Summers, landlady at the Ellingham Arms, Marketstoke, in Buckinghamshire. Now then--but what's your name, my dear?" "Lucy Summers, sir." "Very pretty name, I'm sure! Well, and what's the message your grandmother sent me? I want this gentleman to hear it." "Grandmother wished me to say, sir, that we read the piece in the paper this morning asking if anybody could give you any news about a Mr. John Ashton, and that as we had a gentleman of that name staying with us for three or four days some weeks since, she sent me to tell you, and to say that if you would send somebody down to see her, she could give some information about him." "Very clearly put, my dear--much obliged to you," said Mr. Pawle. "Now, I suppose you were at the Ellingham Arms when this Mr. Ashton came there?" "Oh, yes, sir; I live there!" "To be sure! Now, what sort of man was he--in appearance?" "A tall, big gentleman, sir, with a beard, going a little grey. He was wearing a blue serge suit." Mr. Pawle nodded at Viner. "Seems like our man," he remarked. "Now," he went on, turning again to Lucy Summers, "you say he stayed there three or four days. What did he do with himself while he was there?" "He spent a good deal of time about the church, sir," answered the girl, "and he was at Ellingham Park a good deal--" "Whose place is that?" interrupted Mr. Pawle. "Lord Ellingham's, sir."