"The murder?" exclaimed the watchmaker. The doorkeeper crumpled up his letter and stuffed it into the pocket of his coat, while his wife read to them the story of the discovery. The watchmaker listened with interest.
"Benham!" he remarked. "I never heard the name, did you?"
"You know him, Ned," said the doorkeeper's wife; "him as Mr. Gaspard used to go about with."
By a sudden common impulse, the eyes of the two men met; the woman went off to brew them a pot of tea, and left them fearfully gazing at one another.
"What stuff!" said the watchmaker uneasily. "It was only his blow. What reason had he—?" He paused and added, "Seen him to-day, Ned?"
"No," answered Ned, fingering his note.
"Wasn't he in the procession?"
"I didn't see him."
"When did you see him last?"