"Oh yes. I'll tell Inspector Trent that you know where he is."
Gowrie did not relish this speech, as Trent entertained some suspicions of his honesty, notwithstanding the plausible story he had related. Also, he might lose the reward. Therefore he made a virtue of necessity, and turned his glib tongue to English.
"I am a man of letters, Miss Tedder," he said smoothly, "and have fallen on evil days. To be precise, I have not earned that reputation which my talents deserve, consequently my emoluments are not large. At one time I was tutor to Angus Herries, your unfortunate cousin, but evil-speaking people drove me from the metropolis of the North to wander on the earth."
"Proceed," said Mrs. Mountford heavily, and thinking, from the looks of the narrator, that strong drink had much to do with his wandering on the face of the earth.
"I have wandered far and wide," said this modern Ulysses, "and the records of my travels may be found in various journals. I have been but badly paid for the same," said the sage sighing, "and it behoves me to gain money in some other way," he cast a cunning look at Miss Tedder. "I hear there is a reward offered for the man who can find Angus Herries?"
"Yes! I am not rich," said Maud coolly, "but I'll willingly pay five hundred pounds, which I can do through Mr. Ritson, the lawyer, as soon as Mr. Herries is in gaol."
"Aye," murmured Gowrie, maintaining a bland face, "a sprat tae catch a mack'ril."
"What's that?" asked Maud, hearing indistinctly.
"Naething--a blessing--a blessing. But to continue," he added, reverting to English, "I chanced upon the 'Marsh Inn' while I wandered, and there I have stopped frequently. Indeed, my daughter, Elspeth, remained at the inn, as a companion to the landlady."
"I was told about her," said Miss Tedder abruptly, "she was a servant, I believe."