"Well, he had found out, or thought he had found out, something about Lady Loudwater, and was threatening to start an action against her for divorce. At least, so her maid told me this morning. And as he wholly lacked balance, he might in a fury of jealousy have made away with himself," said Mr. Manley thoughtfully.
"Was he so fond of Lady Loudwater?" said Mr. Flexen in a somewhat doubtful tone.
He had heard stories about Lord Loudwater's treatment of his wife.
"He didn't show any great fondness for her, I'm bound to say. In fact, he was always bullying her. But he wouldn't need to be very fond of any one to go crazy with jealousy about her. He was a man of strong passions and quite unbalanced. I suppose he had been so utterly spoilt as a child, a boy, and a young man, that he never acquired any power of self-control at all."
"M'm, I should have thought that in that case he'd have been more likely to murder the man," said Mr. Flexen.
"He was," said Mr. Manley in ready agreement. "But the other's always possible."
"Yes; one has to bear every possibility in mind," said Mr. Flexen. "I've heard that he was a bad-tempered man."
"He was the most unpleasant brute I ever came across in my life," said
Mr. Manley with heartfelt conviction.
"Then he had enemies?" said Mr. Flexen.
"Scores, I should think. But, of course, I don't know. Only I can't conceive his having had a friend," said Mr. Manley in a tone of some bitterness.