“Yes, but not this time. She told Martin to get Dr. Henry as soon as possible. There was no horse at Beech Lodge then, so he ran all the way to the doctor’s place. The rest of it coincided with Perkins’s evidence. He also said that he had been outside the cottage all the evening and could swear that no one had entered the grounds from the road.”
“Had there been any difference between him and Mr. Millicent?”
“Apparently not. Mr. Millicent had been in the garden with him that afternoon, discussing the pruning of the roses and general preparations for the winter. Mrs. Millicent confirmed this, subsequently, and said that her husband trusted the man implicitly.”
“Did Martin mention the paper-knife?”
“He was questioned but said he knew nothing about it. From what the others testified, it seems that he very seldom came into the house, so it’s reasonable he should not have known.”
“Or the image?” asked Derrick thoughtfully.
“No, sir, nothing of that, either.”
“And how long had he been in Mr. Millicent’s employ?”
“A matter of something less than five years.”
“And before that?”