"And the man must have lived some minutes after the blow, to crawl this distance," observed the inspector, measuring the space with his eye. "Did you come out at once, ma'am?"
"No!" replied Mrs. Moxton, with some hesitation. "I was afraid. I heard the cry and waited for a time, thinking I was mistaken. It was about ten minutes, more or less, before I summoned up courage to open the front door."
"On the whole," said Ellis, "it would seem that the murder was committed at a quarter past eleven. Well, Mr. Drake, what is to be done?"
"Nothing can be done until the morning," replied Drake. "The man who did this is no doubt far enough away by this time."
"A man!" cried Mrs. Moxton. "Do you think a man did it?"
The inspector was on the alert immediately. "Have you any reason to think that a woman killed him?" he asked sharply.
"I! No. I cannot guess who committed the murder." Mrs. Moxton seemed anxious, nervous, and sorry she had said so much. "Shall we take the body into the house, sir?" she asked in a low tone.
"It will be as well, ma'am, and I shall leave this constable to look after it for the night."
"Thank you, thank you," said the widow, shuddering. "I should be afraid to stay by myself."
"Let me stay also!" said Ellis, moved by her beauty and distress.