"It wasn't a carriage and it stayed? Can't you explain yourself more clearly, Mrs. Willis? This isn't a conundrum, is it?" "It was a car, a motor-car," stammered the woman. "A car! And it stopped? Where?" "I couldn't say exactly, but not far from our cottage." "And where is your cottage?" "On the 'ighroad near the long lane." "I see." The coroner was obviously excited. "Your husband is one of the gardeners here, isn't he?" "Yes, sir." "So there is doubtless a path connecting your cottage with the castle grounds?" "Yes, sir." "About how far from your cottage was the car?" "I didn't see it, sir; I just 'eard it; but it wasn't far, that I know," reiterated the woman. "Did you hear any one pass through your garden?" "No, sir." "Could they have done so without your hearing them?" "They might." "Was the car going to or coming from Newhaven?" "It was coming from Newhaven." "Then it must have stopped at the foot of the long lane." "Yes, sir; that's just about where I thought it was." "Is there a path connecting Long Lane with the highroad?" "Yes, a narrow one." "What time was it when you heard the car? Now try and be very accurate." "I wouldn't like to swear, sir, but I think it was between eleven and twelve." "Did your husband hear it also?" "No, sir, 'e was fast asleep, but I wasn't feeling very well, so I had got up thinking I'd make myself a cup of tea, and just then I 'eard a car come whizzing along, and then there was a bang. Oh, says I, they've burst their wheel, that's what they've done, me knowing about cars. I know it takes a bit of mending, a wheel does, so I wasn't surprised when I 'eard no more of them for a time--and I 'ad just about forgotten all about them, so I had, when I 'ears them move off." "And they did not pass your cottage?" "No, sir, I'm sure of that." "Did you hear anything else?" "Well, sir"--the woman fidgeted uneasily, "I thought--but I shouldn't like to swear to it--not on the Bible--but I fancied I 'eard a cry." "What sort of a cry? Was it a man or a woman's?" "I really couldn't say--and perhaps what I 'eard was not a cry at all----" "Well, well--this is most important. A motor-car that is driven at half-past eleven at night to the foot of a lane which leads nowhere but to the castle grounds, and then returns in the direction it came from--very extraordinary--very. We must look into this," exclaimed the coroner. And with this the inquest was adjourned. CHAPTER VIII LADY UPTON Dr. Stuart-Smith to Mr. Peter Thompkins, Geralton Castle, Newhaven. "DEAR LORD WILMERSLEY: