"When did he go?" asked Mr. Whitney, quickly.
"Nobody knows, sir. Joe, the stable-boy, says he hasn't been around at all this morning."
"Bring the boy here," said Mr. Mainwaring.
There was instantly recalled to every one present the memory of Brown's insolent manner at the inquest, together with his confused and false statements. In a few moments Hardy returned with the stable-boy, an unkempt, ignorant lad of about fourteen, but with a face old and shrewd beyond his years.
"Are you one of the servants here?" Mr. Mainwaring inquired.
"I works here, ef that's wot yer mean; but I don't call myself nobody's servant."
"How did it happen that you were not at the inquest?" he demanded.
"Didn't got no invite," was the reply, accompanied by a grin, while Hardy explained that the boy did not belong to the place, but had been hired by the coachman to come nights and mornings and attend to the stable work.
"What do you know about this Brown?" inquired Mr. Mainwaring, addressing the boy.
"Wal, I guess he's ben a-goin' it at a putty lively gait lately."