"What other motive could there be?" asked Mrs. Lilly, amazed.
"Revenge of some sort, in both cases. Both the victims were stunned, and so the plunder could have been easily carried off safely. But in each case the assassin cut the throats of his victims. That looks like revenge."
Mrs. Lilly resumed her knitting and shook her head. "I can tell you nothing more," she said, after a pause. "Orchard might know a lot--I always thought that he did."
"Who is Orchard?"
"He was our butler at the time, and afterwards went to be a shepherd on the Downs yonder," and Mrs. Lilly nodded towards the high range of hills spreading fair and green in the sunlight.
Beatrice started. "Mrs. Snow said something about that," she observed, thoughtfully. "Why did the man become a shepherd? So odd!"
"It is odd--I always thought it was odd," said Mrs. Lilly; "but, you see, the sight of the body--Colonel Hall's body--gave poor Orchard a kind of fit, and the doctor said he would have to live in the open air. At all events he left the house, and when we next heard of him he was a shepherd on the Downs. He is well known, I believe, and is alive still. I have never seen him from that day to this, but I daresay if you went up yonder and inquired, you would see him. He may know something more than I do."
"I shall certainly see him," said Beatrice. "I want to learn all I can about this case."
Before Mrs. Lilly could reply, a shadow fell on the sward before them. They looked up to see a small, dirty, red-haired man leering at them in an affable way.
"Morning, lydies," said this creature; "I'm Waterloo!"