Herrick had not yet returned when I reached the house. Lennox was
just sitting down to supper, in which I joined him. While we were
lingering over our coffee I remembered what Mary had said that
morning, and asked him point-blank about it.
He gave me a curious look before replying:
"So Mary Lessing told you that, did she? Well, I give her credit for
observation. I remember that morning perfectly. She was quite
right; something _had_ happened."
He paused to light a cigar over the lamp-chimney before saying:
"Shall we go into the surgery, Haverill?"
I followed him in, leaving the dining-room to Mrs. Searle, and closed
the door between us, while Lennox threw himself back into the
armchair and smoked for a few moments in silence.
"I've told you, Haverill, that between one thing and another my
nerves were in a pretty unreliable state early this summer. I
mention that now, because I still think it had a certain bearing on
what happened. When Mary Lessing stopped me that morning in the road
it was just a case of one shock on top of another."
"Then----"
"Wait a minute," Lennox said. "If I tell this thing I've got to tell
it my own way. I'll tell you just what happened and I haven't got
any explanation of it at all. You can take it or leave it. And
you'll understand that I don't even claim to be telling you facts.
The whole thing might have been just an impression in my own mind.
That's what I want to make clear, regardless of any effect it may
have had on me at the time.
"I had been out on an all-night case. I was physically tired, and
through a particular anxiety in this instance, just about all in. I
had a seven-mile drive home, and I could almost have fallen asleep
there in the buggy. I had left my patient out of danger, and coming
back I remembered that Mrs. Searle wanted a couple of chickens from
Aaron and that I'd told her the day before I would stop in some time
and get them. It was very little after daybreak, but I chanced the
Mennings being early risers and turned out of my way to go by the
Bend. There was smoke coming from the chimney, so I got out and
knocked at the door, and the old woman opened it. I guess she was
just dressing; she looked half asleep, and she told me Aaron wasn't
up yet, but that the chickens were ready, and she'd get them for me
if I didn't mind waiting a minute.
"I stood about outside. It was a chilly morning, and a bit foggy. I
guess I had my mind more on a cup of hot coffee than anything else,
and I wondered if the old woman would give me some if I asked for it
when she came back, though I'd be needing coffee pretty badly before
I'd drink it in that house. You knew the Menning place, before it
was burned?"