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Page 45
Lunch in the Ransford menage was an informal meal. At a
quarter past one every day, it was on the table--a cold lunch
to which the three members of the household helped themselves
as they liked, independent of the services of servants.
Sometimes all three were there at the same moment; sometimes
Ransford was half an hour late; the one member who was always
there to the moment was Dick Bewery, who fortified himself
sedulously after his morning's school labours. On this
particular day all three met in the dining-room at once, and
sat down together. And before Dick had eaten many mouthfuls
of a cold pie to which he had just liberally helped himself he
bent confidentially across the table towards his guardian.
"There's something I think you ought to be told about, sir,"
he remarked with a side-glance at Mary. "Something I heard
this morning at school. You know, we've a lot of fellows
--town boys--who talk."
"I daresay," responded Ransford dryly. "Following the example
of their mothers, no doubt. Well--what is it?"
He, too, glanced at Mary--and the girl had her work set to
look unconscious.
"It's this," replied Dick, lowering his voice in spite of the
fact that all three were alone. "They're saying in the town
that you know something which you won't tell about that affair
last week. It's being talked of."
Ransford laughed--a little cynically.
"Are you quite sure, my boy, that they aren't saying that I
daren't tell?" he asked. "Daren't is a much more likely word
than won't, I think."
"Well--about that, sir," acknowledged Dick. "Comes to that,
anyhow."
"And what are their grounds?" inquired Ransford. "You've
heard them, I'll be bound!"
"They say that man--Braden--had been here--here, to the
house!--that morning, not long before he was found dead,"
answered Dick. "Of course, I said that was all bosh!--I said
that if he'd been here and seen you, I'd have heard of it,
dead certain."
"That's not quite so dead certain, Dick, as that I have no
knowledge of his ever having been here," said Ransford. "But
who says he came here?"
"Mrs. Deramore," replied Dick promptly. "She says she saw him
go away from the house and across the Close, a little before
ten. So Jim Deramore says, anyway--and he says his mother's
eyes are as good as another's."
"Doubtless!" assented Ransford. He looked at Mary again, and
saw that she was keeping hers fixed on her plate. "Well," he
continued, "if it will give you any satisfaction, Dick, you
can tell the gossips that Dr. Ransford never saw any man,
Braden or anybody else, at his house that morning, and that he
never exchanged a word with Braden. So much for that! But,"
he added, "you needn't expect them to believe you. I know
these people--if they've got an idea into their heads they'll
ride it to death. Nevertheless, what I say is a fact."
Dick presently went off--and once more Ransford looked at
Mary. And this time, Mary had to meet her guardian's
inquiring glance.
"Have you heard anything of this?" he asked.
"That there was a rumour--yes," she replied without
hesitation. "But--not until just now--this morning."
"Who told you of it?" inquired Ransford.
Mary hesitated. Then she remembered that Mr. Folliot, at any
rate, had not bound her to secrecy.
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