"Because," said the prim man, "as I said, they didn't want to leave any clothes to reveal his identity."
"Quite; but why not leave him naked? A bathing-dress seems to indicate an almost excessive regard for decorum, under the circumstances."
"Yes, yes," said the stout man impatiently, "but you 'aven't read the paper carefully. The two men couldn't have come there in company, and for why? There was only one set of footprints found, and they belonged to the murdered man."
He looked round triumphantly.
"Only one set of footprints, eh?" said the first-class passenger quickly. "This looks interesting. Are you sure?"
"It says so in the paper. A single set of footprints, it says, made by bare feet, which by a careful comparison 'ave been shown to be those of the murdered man, lead from the position occupied by the car to the place where the body was found. What do you make of that?"
"Why," said the first-class passenger, "that tells one quite a lot, don't you know. It gives one a sort of a bird's eye view of the place, and it tells one the time of the murder, besides castin' quite a good bit of light on the character and circumstances of the murderer—or murderers."
"How do you make that out, sir?" demanded the elderly man.
"Well, to begin with—though I've never been near the place, there is obviously a sandy beach from which one can bathe."
"That's right," said the stout man.