"Oh, that is nothing," replied the Inspector, vainly trying to suppress a self-satisfied smile. "Did you find any further evidence against this hotel-keeper? What connection had he with the castle?" inquired Cyril. "He knew Lord Wilmersley slightly, but says he has never even seen her Ladyship. And I am inclined to believe him." "In that case what part does he play in the affair?" "None, I fancy. You see he keeps the car for the convenience of his guests and on the day in question it had been hired by two young Frenchmen, who were out in it from two o'clock till midnight." "Frenchmen! But how could they have had anything to do with the tragedy?" "That remains to be seen. So far all I have been able to find out about these two men is that they landed in Newhaven ten days before the murder. They professed to be brothers and called themselves Joseph and Paul Durand. They seemed to be amply provided with money and wanted the best the hotel had to offer. Joseph Durand appeared a decent sort of fellow, but the younger one drank. The waiters fancy that the elder man used to remonstrate with him occasionally, but the youngster paid very little attention to him." "You say they _professed_ to be brothers. Why do you doubt their relationship?" "For one reason, the elder one did not understand a word of English, while the young one spoke it quite easily, although with a strong accent. That is, he spoke it with a strong accent when he was sober, but when under the influence of liquor this accent disappeared." "And what has become of the pair?" "They left Newhaven the morning after the murder. Their departure was very hurried, and the landlord is sure that the day before they had no intention of leaving." "Where did they go to?" "They took the boat to Dieppe. The porter saw them off." "Have you been able to trace them farther?" "Not yet, my lord, but I have sent one of my men to try and follow them up, and I have notified the continental police to be on the look-out for them. It's a pity that they have three days' start of us." "But as you have an accurate description of both, I should imagine that they will soon be found." "It's through the young 'un they'll be caught, if they are caught." "Why, is he deformed in any way?" "No, my lord, but they tell me he is abnormally small for a man of his age, for he must be twenty-two or three at the very least. The landlord believes that he is a jockey who had got into bad habits, and that the elder man is his trainer or backer. Of course, he may be right, but the waiters pooh-pooh the idea. They insist that the boy is a gentleman-born and servants are pretty good judges of such things, though you mightn't think it, my lord." "I can quite believe it," assented Cyril. "But then there are many gentlemen jockeys."