The landlord replenished the tankards and leaned confidentially over the counter.
“You heard the noos? There ain’t half been goings on round these parts this morning. Up at Layton Court. You’d pass it on the left coming from Elchester; nigh on a mile back. Gentleman shot hisself there, they say. The showver, ’e told me about it. Came in for a glass o’ beer, ’e did, same as what you two gentlemen might be doing now, an’ told me all about it. Wasn’t ’arf put out about it, ’e wasn’t. Wanted the day off to-morrow, an’ now he can’t ask for it, what with having to cart the police an’ everyone backwards and forwards an’ all.”
Roger hurriedly subdued the involuntary smile that had risen to his lips on learning Albert’s personal view of the tragedy. It would have made a striking epitaph, he felt. “Sacred to the memory of John Brown, who died, greatly regretted by everybody, especially his chauffeur, who wanted the day off.”
“Yes, I did hear something about it,” he replied carelessly. “Shocking affair. And how do you find business round here?”
“Mustn’t complain, I suppose,” said the landlord guardedly; “this bein’ the only public in the village, y’ see. An’ good drinkers they are round these parts, too,” he added with enthusiasm.
“That’s fine. I like a man who can appreciate good beer when he gets it. And I suppose you get quite a few strangers in here from time to time as well?”
“No, none too many,” said the landlord regretfully. “We lie a bit off the chief roads here, y’ see. Not but what a few walking gentlemen such as yourselves don’t drop in now and then, for all that.”
“Yes, I suppose you get a walking gentleman now and then,” Roger replied vaguely, wondering what exactly constituted a walking gentleman, and whether he was the opposite to a running gentleman. “How often would that be?”
“Well, sir, that depends, don’t it?” said the landlord cautiously, evidently determined to be entrapped into no rash statements. “Yes, that depends.”
“Does it? Well, take a special day. How many strangers came in yesterday, for instance?”