“A chill contracted by getting wet in the hunting-field, dear. Mr. Sorley was very fond of her, and greatly lamented her death.” “Or the loss of her money,” said the solicitor doubtfully. “No, dear. He really and truly loved her. I sometimes think, Alan, that you are not quite fair to Mr. Sorley. He has had his troubles.” “I don’t like him personally,” said Fuller roundly, “there is an insincere air about him.” “I am not particularly fond of him myself,” confessed Mrs. Fuller in an apologetic way, “but he is always agreeable to me. And, although he has lived here for quite five and twenty years, if not more, there has never been a word said against his character save that he is not generous. And his poverty excuses that, Alan. So try and be agreeable to him this evening, dear,” finished Mrs. Fuller, making the same request as Marie had done. “Of course I shall be agreeable. I wish to be very friendly with him.” “That is natural, dear, since you desire to gain his consent to your marriage with Marie. But, dear me, I am quite forgetting the dinner,” and Mrs. Fuller hastened to the kitchen with her mind full of the pudding, the mince pies, and the roast beef. Alan’s reason for being friendly with Sorley was not entirely due to the cause mentioned by his mother, although he was anxious enough to gain the man’s consent to his wooing. But he felt confident that—unless for a purpose—Sorley would never give that same consent, since he did not think that the vicar’s son was a good match for his pretty and long-descended niece. In a year when Marie was of age, the consent of the guardian could be dispensed with; so that particular matter did not trouble the young man overmuch. He really desired to establish friendly relations with Sorley in order to learn if he had the peacock of jewels in his possession, as it was Marie’s property and should be given to her. Since the uncle loved jewels, and probably knew that the peacock, besides being covered with precious stones, could indicate the whereabouts of a box filled with similar gems, it was probable that he would seek to keep the ornament to himself. Always provided that he possessed it, of which Alan was not quite sure. But if he did have it, then the supposition would be that he had murdered Baldwin Grison for its possession. It was difficult for Fuller to see what he would say in the way of excuse for owning it. “But, of course,” thought the young man, when he went to dress for dinner, and threshed out the matter in his own mind, “if he has it he won’t make any fuss about my seeing it, should he desire me to solve the riddle since at present there has been no public mention that Grison was murdered for its sake.