When next morning the tragedy in the wood became known the whole
household was agog.
It was discussed at the breakfast-table, and Scarcliff, Wydcombe, Ellice
Winsloe and myself agreed to walk down to the village and ascertain the
facts. Eric remained behind to drive Lady Wydcombe into Chichester as
he had arranged on the previous evening.
About half-past ten we four men walked down the avenue into the village,
where we found the constable with two other officers in plain clothes.
Great consternation had, of course, been created by the startling news,
and the whole village seemed to be gossiping at the doors, and forming
wild theories concerning the death of the unfortunate unknown.
After making inquiries of the constables, and hearing details of which
I, of course, was already aware, Scarcliff asked leave to view the body.
"Certainly, m'lord," was Booth's prompt reply, and we moved off
together.
My great fear was that the village constable should remark upon my
previous visit to him, therefore I walked with him, keeping him a
considerable distance behind the others as we went up the street.
"The superintendent is not here now?" I remarked casually, in order
that he should recall our meeting up in the wood while we were alone,
and not before my friends.
"No, sir. The guv'nor went back to Chichester about an hour ago," was
his answer, and a few minutes later we turned into a farmyard, where in
a barn, the door of which was unlocked by one of the men, we saw the
body lying face upwards upon a plank on trestles.
Booth drew the handkerchief from the dead face that seemed to stare at
us so grimly in the semi-darkness of the barn, and from my companions
escaped exclamations of surprise and horror.
"Awful!" gasped the young viscount--who was known as "The Scrambler" to
his intimates--a name given to him at Eton; "I wonder who murdered him?"
"I wonder!" echoed Ellice Winsloe in a hard, hushed voice.
His strange tone attracted me, and my eyes fell upon his countenance.
It had, I was amazed to see, blanched in an instant, and was as white as
that of the dead man himself.
The sudden impression produced upon the others was such that they failed
to notice the change in Ellice. I, however, saw it distinctly.